MC-NI 


6EPERS 


ffiBERS 


IN  MEMOMAM 

John  3wett 


Away  from  the   Haunts  of  Men. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  SERIES— INTERMEDIATE  BOOK 


SOME   CURIOUS 

FLYERS,  CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS 


BY  JAMES  JOHOMOT 

s ; 


NEW  YORK 
D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1387 


50 


COPYRIGHT,   1887, 

BY  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


PREFACE, 


THE  reasons  why  this  book  appears  as  ap- 
pended to  the  series  of  the  Natural  History  sup- 
plementary readers  are  as  follows : 

In  preparing  the  third  and  fourth  books  of  the 
series,  much  more  matter  accumulated  than  could 
be  contained  in  the  volumes  of  the  size  contem- 
plated ;  and  the  only  alternative  was  either  to  cut 
down  the  chapters  by  leaving  out  a  large  share 
of  the  story  part,  or  to  drop  whole  chapters,  thus 
omitting  the  notice  of  many  orders  of  animals, 
and  marring  the  original  plan  of  the  work.  After 
deliberation,  the  latter  method  was  adopted,  and 
reluctantly  the  four  volumes  were  given  to  the 
public  with  important  topics  wholly  omitted.  The 
amount  of  this  matter  was  so  great  that  it  was 
at  length  resolved  to  make  this  additional  vol- 
ume, so  that  our  little  friends  at  home  and  at 
school  may  have  the  story  of  animals  and  the  sim- 
ple outline  of  their  description  nearly  complete. 

These  books  do  not  aim  to  take  the  place  of  a 
scientific  treatise  upon  natural  history,  but  rather 
they  are  designed  to  serve  as  an  introduction  to 


4  PREFACE. 

the  study  of  the  subject  by  the  way  of  observa- 
tions made  and  interest  excited.  The  method  is 
the  same  as  in  the  other  volumes  of  the  series ;  in 
each  order  of  animals  the  study  of  home  speci- 
mens precedes  the  foreign,  and  the  study  itself 
rises  from  the  observation  of  facts  in  a  single  line 
of  investigation  to  a  perception  of  the  relation 
of  these  facts  to  each  other,  and  the  wider  rela- 
tions which  they  sustain  to  other  departments  of 
thought. 

We  are  not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  read- 
ing-books are  supposed  to  be  specially  prepared  to 
teach  reading ;  but  we  are  also  impressed  with  the 
more  profound  truth  that  reading  implies  thought, 
and  hence  that  reading  -  lessons  must  be  both  in- 
telligible and  interesting. 

For  children,  there  seems  to  be  a  charm  about 
stories  of  animals  that  awakens  thought,  and  in 
their  eagerness  to  give  this  thought  expression 
they  often  leap  over  mere  mechanical  difficulties, 
and  acquire  skill  with  the  ease  and  rapidity  of  in- 
tuition. 

It  can  not  be  too  strongly  borne  in  mind  that 
the  reading  of  words  without  understanding  the 
thought  must  be  monotonous  and  vicious  in  style, 
and  that  all  effort  on  the  part  of  parent  and 
teacher  to  correct  such  habits,  while  the  causes 
continue,  must  prove  abortive.  The  remedy  will 
come  from  the  use  of  matter  which  reaches  the 
understanding  and  furnishes  positive  instruction. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.— The  Scavenger  Bird 9 

II.— Birds  of  the  Past 13 

III.— The  Shag 22 

IV.— Our  Slow-footed  Neighbors 24 

V.— The  King  of  Tropical  Waters 30 

VI.— Scaly  Tenants  of  the  Wild 36 

VII. — Animal  Life  in  Madagascar 45 

VIII.— Birds  in  Spring 50 

IX.— About  Eels 53 

X. — Frank  Buckland  at  Home 62 

XL— Tom 69 

XII.— The  Dog  who  attended  Fires., 71 

XIII. — Crawling  Occupants  of  Grass  and  Woodland 73 

XIV. — Poisonous  Creepers  of  the  Wilds 81 

XV. — Wings  of  Gossamer  and  Gold 90 

XVI.  —Wings,  Busy  and  Sober  99 

XVIL— Flying-Bugs  and  Walk  ing- Sticks 108 

XVIIL— Fruit  and  Grain  Destroyers 115 

XIX. — Spinners  of  House  and  Garden 123 

XX.  -  Spider  Ways  and  Spider  Stories 129 

XXI. — Locusts  in  the  East 136 

XXIL— The  Birds  must  Know 142 

XXIII.-— Tigers  of  Copse  and  Hedge 144 


6  CONTENTS.— ( Continued.) 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXIV. — Diggers  for  Grubs  and  Beetles 154 

XXV.— Grubbers  for  Ants 161 

XXVI.  -Plantigrade  Rangers  of  Field  and  Forest 171 

XXVII.— The  Pouched  'Possum  and  its  Kin 180 

XXVIII.— The  Leviathan  of  the  Deep 190 

XXIX.— The  Sea-Monster  of  the  Amazon 198 

XXX.— Dwellers  of  Sea-shore  and  Ice 204 

XXXI.— The  Flying  Mouse •. 213 

XXXIL— My  Dog  Fido 222 


THE  DOG  IN  THE  MANGER. 

A  DOG  was  lying  upon  a  manger  full  of  hay ;  a  cow, 
being  hungry,  came  near  and  offered  to  eat  of  it ;  but  the 
envious,  ill-natured  cur,  getting  up  and  snarling  at  her, 
would  not  suffer  her  to  touch  a  morsel ;  upon  which  the 
cow,  in  the  bitterness  of  her  heart,  said,  "  Thou  art  a 
very  malicious  wretch,  who  will  neither  eat  the  hay  thy- 
self nor  suffer  others  to  do  it." 


The  Adjutant-Bird. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE    SCAVENGER-BIRD. 

1.  THE  wading  birds,  living  in  swamps  and 
along  the  margin  of  lonely  lakes  and  bayous,  per- 
form a  work  serviceable  to  man  by  keeping  down 
to  a  bearable  limit  the  vast  reptile  horde,  which 
would    otherwise   overrun   the    country.      Frogs, 
snakes,  lizards,  and  young  alligators  are  all  de- 
voured in  incredible   numbers,   and   the    strange, 
silent  bird,  with  his  long  legs  and  enormous  bill, 
disputes  with  the  alligator  the  sovereignty  of  the 
swamp. 

2.  Some  of  these  waders  have  taken  up  their 
abode  near  the  homes  of  men,  becoming  nearly  as 
tame  as  the  common  tenants  of  the  farm-yard.     In 
Holland  the  stork  is  a  welcome  visitant  to  castle 
and  cottage  alike,  and,  when  it  builds  its  nest  on 
the  thatched  roof  of  dwelling  or  stable,  the  event 
is  regarded  as  a  good  omen,  bringing  health  and 
happiness  to  the  members  of  the  household.     Be- 
sides being  the  harbinger  of  good  luck,  and  a  pat- 
tern of  filial  duty,  the  stork  performs  a  real  service 
in  waging  war  upon  reptile  and  vermin,  and  so 


10  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

saving  the  people  from  many  troubles  and  discom- 
forts. 

3.  In  South  Africa,  the  secretary-bird,  a  cousin 
of  the  stork,  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  best 
friends  of  man.     This  bird  seems  to  have  a  special 
animosity  against  poisonous  snakes,  and  will  at- 
tack  and   kill   them  whenever  they   are   found. 
When  tame,  it  becomes  a  peaceful  inhabitant  of 
the  farm-yard,  and  very  useful  in  protecting  the 
weaker  members  of  the  community  from  the  at- 
tacks of  vermin  and  birds  of  prey.     It  associates 
little  with  its  neighbors,  and  never  interferes  with 
them,  except  to  prevent  a  fight,  and  cocks  and 
turkeys  soon  learn  to  respect  the  power  that  is  ex- 
erted in  the  interest  of  peace. 

4.  Another  member  of  this  family  of  birds,  and 
the  largest  of  them  all,  is  the  marabout  of  tropical 
Asia  and  Africa.     This  immense  bird  is  nearly  as 
tall  as  a  man,  and  its  outspread  wings  would  reach 
from  side  to  side  of  a  good-sized  room.     It  stands 
on  sturdy  legs  and  strong  feet,  with  toes  wide- 
spreading  and  partly  webbed,  so  as  not  to  sink 
easily  in  the  mud.     Its  feathers  are  of  a  dusky  ash 
color  above,  with  somewhat  changeable  tints,  and 
white  below.    The  side  and  under  tail-feathers  are 
long,  white,  light  in  texture,  wide-spreading  and 
delicate,  rivaling  those  of  the  ostrich  in  form  and 
beauty. 

5.  The  neck  and  the  head  of  this  bird  are  large, 
nearly  bare  of  feathers,  and  are  covered  with  a  red- 


THE  SCAVENGER-BIRD. 


11 


dish,  warty  skin.  In  front,  from  the  lower  part  of 
the  neck,  a  fleshy  wattle,  like  that  of  the  turkey- 
gobbler,  hangs  down  several  inches  in  length.  The 


The  Adjutant-Bird.     Showing  the  Foot  resting  from  Heel  to  Toe  upon  the 

Ground. 

bill  is  yellow,  broad  at  the  base,  and  tapering  to 
a  point,  and  as  long  as  a  man's  arm.  It  opens  so 
wide  that  the  bird  can  take  in  a  cat  or  a  quarter 
of  lamb  and  swallow  it  whole.  At  a  distance  it 
resembles  an  officer  in  light-colored  waistcoat  and 
breeches,  and  hence  the  English  have  given  to  it 
the  name  of  the  adjutant-bird. 


12  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

6.  The  first  joint  on  the  leg  of  a  bird  above 
the  ground  does  not  bend  forward  like  a  knee,  but 
it  turns  back  like  the  similar  joint  in  the  leg  of 
the  cat.     This  joint  is  the  ankle,  and  all  birds  and 
many  animals  are  toe-stepping,  never  resting  the 
whole  foot  upon  the  ground.     The  bear,  as  well  as 
some  other  animals,  treads  upon  the  whole  length 
of  its  feet,  and  seems  to  shuffle  along  rather  than 
walk.     It  is  hence  called  a  plantigrade  or  foot- 
stepping    animal.      The    adjutant,   when   resting, 
places  its  whole  foot  upon  the  ground,  like  the 
plantigrade   animals,  and  seems  to  be  squatting 
rather  than  standing. 

7.  In  its  wild  state,  the  marabout  lives  in  lonely 
marshes,  on  frogs,  fish,  and  such  other  inhabitants 
of  the  water  as  it  can  pick  up.     It  does  not  hesi- 
tate to  attack  poisonous  reptiles ;  and  in  India, 
where   the   cobra  is  so  dreaded,  this  bird  is  re- 
garded as  a  friend  of  man,  and  is  protected  both 
by  law  and  by  the  general  sentiment  of  the  peo- 
ple.   It  is  easily  domesticated,  and  in  Calcutta  and 
other  cities  of  India  it  roams  unmolested  through 
the  streets,  eating  up  everything  in  the  form  of 
garbage,   and  effectually  performing  the    service 
of  a  scavenger.     At  meal-times  these  birds  draw 
themselves  up  in  line  in  front  of  the  barracks,  to 
eat  the  refuse  thrown  out  by  the  soldiers,  includ- 
ing enormous  bones,  which  they  swallow  whole. 

8.  When  tamed  and  kindly  treated,  the  mara- 
bout attaches  itself  to  its  owner — sometimes,  in- 


BIRDS  OF  THE  PAST.  13 

deed,  becoming  very  troublesome  in  its  familiarity. 
It.  is  related  that  one  of  these  birds  was  accus- 
tomed to  stand  behind  its  master's  chair  at  dinner- 
time and  take  its  share  of  the  meal.  It  was,  how- 
ever, a  great  thief,  and  was  always  looking  out  for 
an  opportunity  to  steal  the  food  on  the  table,  so 
that  the  servants  were  obliged  to  keep  watch  of 
him  with  sticks  in  their  hands.  In  spite  of  their 
vigilance,  it  was  often  too  quick  for  them,  and 
once  it  snatched  a  boiled  fowl  off  the  dish  and 
swallowed  it  on  the  spot. 


CHAPTER    II. 
BIRDS   OF   THE    PAST. 

1.  As  civilized  man  advances  and  takes  posses- 
sion of  forest  and  plain,  the  larger  wild  animals 
that  formerly  inhabited  the  region  must  either 
come  into  his  service  or  be  destroyed.  The  wolf 
has  disappeared  from  the  eastern  forests  of  Amer- 
ica, and  the  bear  is  found  only  in  the  most  re- 
mote places.  In  Asia  and  Africa,  lions  and  tigers 
retreat  as  the  wilds  become  settled,  and  take  up 
their  abode  in  inaccessible  mountains  and  jungles ; 
and  the  rhinoceros  and  giraffe  are  rapidly  disap- 
pearing, as  they  demand  a  wide  range  for  their 
food,  and  must  be  destroyed  to  protect  the  crops 
of  the  farmer.  The  elephant  is  made  a  servant  of 


14:  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

man,  and  will  probably  survive  in  a  domesticated 
state,  long  after  his  wild  kin  have  disappeared  from 
the  forests. 

2.  The  same  fate  awaits  the  larger  birds.    Most 
of  the  feathered  tribe  have  special  means  by  which 
their  lives   are   protected.      Rapid   flight   carries 
them  beyond  the  reach  of   man;   and  beauty  of 
plumage  and  song  renders  them  objects  to  be  pre- 
served rather  than  destroyed.     But  the  birds  with- 
out the  power  of  flight  can  not  escape  from  the 
advance  of  the  settler,  or  from  the  keen  eye  of  the 
hunter.     If  they  can  be  made  to  serve  man,  their 
existence  may  be  prolonged  ;  but  if  not,  they  must 
perish  from  the  earth. 

3.  The  ostrich  is  as  well  equipped  for  living  in 


The  Ostrich  at  full  Speed. 


BIRDS  OF  THE  PAST.  15 

semi-desert  regions  as  are  any  of  the  larger  ani- 
mals. It  has  great  strength  and  speed,  and  will 
fight  or  run  as  the  occasion  requires.  While  it 
can  not  fly,  it  is  bird-like  in  its  whole  structure, 
with  boat-shaped  body,  light,  hollow  bones,  and 
soft,  light  feathers.  Its  wings,  too  small  for  flying, 
aid  in  running  by  performing  the  office  of  sails. 
Its  feathers,  also,  having  no  need  of  being  compact 
to  resist  the  air  like  those  of  flying  birds,  have  no 
little  hooklets  binding  the  parts  together,  but  are 
loose  and  downy  so  as  best  to  catch  the  wind. 

4.  Miss  Buckley  says:   u There  are  soft  pads 
inside  of  the  two  toes  of  each  foot,  and  these  re- 
bound from  the  yielding  sand  as  the  well-bent  legs 
straighten  with  a  jerk  one  after  the  other,  making 
his  body  bound  forward  at  full  speed.     Then  he 
raises  his  wings,  sometimes  on  one  side,  sometimes 
on  both,  to  balance  himself,  and  to  serve  as  sails 
to  help  him  ;  and  with  this  help  his  stride  is  some- 
times as  great  as  twenty  feet,  and  he  dashes  along 
at  the  rate  of  twenty-six  miles  an  hour,  rivaling 
the  rail-cars  in  speed. 

5.  "  If  we  go  back  to  long  by-gone  times,  be- 
fore the  lion,  the  leopard,  and  other  ferocious  ani- 
mals found  their  way  into  Africa,  we  can  imagine 
how  this  great  running  bird  took  possession  of  the 
land,  and,  finding  food  in  plenty,  soon  became  too 
heavy  for  flight ;  while,  as  time  rolled  on,  it  gained 
that  strength  of  body  and  leg  which  afforded  it 
protection  from  enemies  of   all   kinds.     It  could 


16 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


travel   over  wide  distances  from  one  oasis  to  an- 
other,  feeding  on  seeds,  fruits,  beetles,  locusts,  and 


The  Ostrich  at  Rest. 

small  animals,  and  fighting  fiercely  with  leg  and 
beak  if  attacked." 

6.  But  the  protection  which  nature  has  af- 
forded the  ostrich  in  its  struggle  for  existence 
against  wild  beasts  and  savage  men,  is  of  no 


BIRDS   OF  THE  PAST.  17 

avail  against  the  arts  of  the  practical  hunter.  The 
speed  of  the  bird  is  no  match  for  trained  horses 
in  relays,  so  that  a  fresh  one  is  ready  to  continue 
the  chase  when  the  last  one  gives  out ;  and  its 
strength  is  useless  as  against  gunpowder  and  the 
rifle.  From  year  to  year,  as  explorations  are 
made  and  settlements  spread,  the  wild  flocks  of 
this  bird  retire  farther  into  the  interior  of  the 
continent,  and,  in  the  natural  order  of  events,  it  is 
on  the  high-road  to  extermination. 

7.  One  peculiarity  in  regard  to  its  plumage, 
however,  and    one   in    regard   to  its    disposition, 
serve  to  prolong  its  existence.     The  light,  graceful 
feathers  on  wing  and  body  are  highly  prized  as 
ornaments  for  ladies'  wear,  and  the  bird  is  easily 
domesticated.      So,  the   ostrich    is    now    rapidly 
changing  from  the  wild  tenant  of  the  desert   to 
the  peaceful  occupant  of  the  farm-yard,  where  it 
enters  into  the  service  of  man  as  the  fowls  and 
turkeys  have  done  in  the  time  gone  by. 

8.  The  cassowary  of  New  Guinea  and  adjacent 
islands  is  a  cousin  of  the  ostrich,  and  but  little  in- 
ferior in  size.     It  is  a  stupid,  gluttonous  bird,  de- 
vouring fruits,  herbs,  and  small  animals  in  great 
numbers.     Its  flesh  is  coarse  and  unsavory,  and 
there  is  nothing  graceful  or  beautiful  in  its  coat 
of  black,  hair-like  feathers.     It  has  no  qualities  to 
render  it  serviceable  to  man.    A  few  pairs  are  usu- 
ally found  in  the  principal  zoological  gardens,  but 
the  birds  are  too  wild  for  domestication,  and  in 


18  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,    AND  SWIMMERS. 

their   native   regions   they   are   becoming   scarce, 
When  New  Guinea  becomes  the  center  of  a  civil- 


The  Cassowary. 

ized  community,  the  cassowary  will  probably  be 
numbered  among  the  birds  of  the  past. 

9.  The  emu  of  Australia,  belonging  to  this 
same  family  of  birds,  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  os- 
trich. It  is  wild  and  timid,  running  away  from 
danger  with  the  speed  of  the  wind.  It  is  much 
like  the  ostrich  in  structure,  but  has  no  ornament- 
al plumage.  It  shuns  the  presence  of  man,  and 
has  entirely  disappeared  from  the  settled  regions 
of  Australia.  It  is  probably  destined  to  extinction 
at  no  distant  day,  for,  though  its  flesh  is  esteemed 
as  an  article  of  food,  its  appetite  is  too  voracious 
to  make  its  preservation  profitable. 


BIRDS  OF  THE  PAST. 


19 


10.  When  the  Mauritius  Island  was  discovered 
by  the  Portuguese,  in  1505,  among  the  native  birds 
was  one  with  an  enormous  hooked  bill  and  curious 
structure  called  the  dodo.  In  shape  it  was  some- 


The  Dodo. 

what  like  a  duck,  but  its  wings  were  too  short  for 
flying  ;  it  had  only  the  rudiments  of  a  tail,  and  its 
toes  showed  that  it  belonged  to  the  scratchers.  It 
was  a  fat,  stupid  bird,  and  could  only  waddle 
along  at  a  slow  gait  upon  its  short  legs.  It  had 
survived  on  the  lonely  island  because  it  had  no 
enemies. 

11.  Its  flesh  was  good  for  food,  and  when  the 
island  became  colonized  this  bird  fell  an*  easy  prey 
to  the  inhabitants.  Its  eggs  and  young  were  also 
destroyed  in  great  numbers  by  dogs,  cats,  and 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 


rats.  In  the  course  of  a  hundred  years  it  had 
entirely  disappeared,  and  the  dodo  is  now  reck- 
oned as  among  the  birds  of  the  past.  From  speci- 
mens preserved,  and  from  the  descriptions  left  by 
the  early  settlers,  the  dodo  is  regarded  as  belong- 
ing to  the  family  of  the  pigeons,  and  as  a  connect- 
ing link  between  the  birds  of  the  present  and 
those  of  past  geologic  ages. 

12.  The  natives  of  New  Zealand  have  tradi- 
tions of  the  existence  of  a  gigantic  bird  that  once 

roamed  over  the  isl- 
ands, and  with  which 
their  ancestors  had 
fierce  fights.  These 
birds  were  repre- 
sented as  much  taller 
than  men.  These  sto- 
ries were  regarded  as 
fabulous  until  bird- 

^-"•"•••••ttf!*  bones  of  enormous 
size  were  discovered 
in  various  places. 
Naturalists  now  tell 
us  that  at  no  very 
remote  period  the 
moa  or  dinornis  in- 

Wingless  BMgXewZealand.-TJ^         habited  New  Zealand  ; 

that  it  stood  sixteen 

feet  high  ;  that  it  was  without  wings  and  tail ; 
and  that  it  had  a  covering  which  was  a  cross  be- 


BIRDS  OF  THE  PAST.  21 

tween  feathers  and  hair.  The  moa  evidently  be- 
longed to  the  same  general  family  as  the  ostrich, 
and  it  may  be  regarded  as  the  big  brother  of 
the  apteryx,  the  wingless  bird  which  is  still  found 
on  the  islands.  It  is  believed  by  many  that  the 
moa  still  exists  in  the  unexplored  regions  of  New 
Zealand,  and  many  stories  are  told  of  their  having 
been  seen  by  hunters  at  different  times. 

13.  Such  are  some  of  the  great  birds  that  are 
extinct,  or  are  rapidly  passing  away.  Having 
served  the  purpose  of  their  existence,  they  are  no 
longer  needed.  When  we  leave  geography  for 
geology,  and  the  study  of  what  is  for  that  of  what 
was,  we  find  evidence  that  the  earth  was  once 
peopled  by  birds  even  greater  than  the  gigantic 
moa,  and  that,  at  one  time  in  the  earth's  history, 
monsters  which  seem  to  be  a  cross  between  a  bird 
and  a  reptile  held  sway  over  all  other  animal  life. 
From  these  terrible  creatures  we  have  happily 
escaped,  and  bird  life  now,  with  its  beauty  and 
song,  has  to  us  become  a  source  of  perpetual  de- 
light. 


22  FL7ERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER    III. 
THE    SHAG. 

1.  "  WHAT  is  that  great  bird,  sister,  tell  me, 

Perched  high  on  the  top  of  the  crag  ? '* 
"  'Tis  the  cormorant,  dear  little  brother  ; 
The  fishermen  call  it  the  shag." 

2.  "  But  what  does  it  there,  sister,  tell  me, 

Sitting  lonely  against  the  black  sky  ? " 
'"  It  has  settled  to  rest,  little  brother ; 
It  hears  the  wild  gale  wailing  high." 


The  Cormorant. 


3.  "  But  I  am  afraid  of  it,  sister, 

For  over  the  sea  and  the  land 
It  gazes,  so  black  and  so  silent ! " 

"Little  brother,  hold  fast  to  my  hand." 


THE  SHAG.  23 

4.  "  Oh,  what  was  that,  sister  ?     The  thunder  ? 

Did  the  shag  bring  the  storm  and  the  cloud. 
The  wind  and  the  rain  and  the  lightning  ? " 
"Little  brother,  the  thunder  roars  loud. 

5.  "  Run  fast,  for  the  rain  sweeps  the  ocean  ! 

Look  !  over  the  lighthouse  it  streams ; 
And  the  lightning  leaps  red,  and  above  us 
The  gulls  fill  the  air  with  their  screams." 

6.  O'er  the  beach,  o'er  the  rocks  running  swiftly, 

The  little  white  cottage  they  gain ; 

And  safely  they  watch  from  the  window 

The  dance  and  the  rush  of  the  rain. 

7.  But  the  shag  kept  his  place  on  the  headland, 

And  when  the  brief  storm  had  gone  by, 
He  shook  his  loose  plumes,  and  they  saw  him 
Rise  splendid  and  strong  in  the  sky. 

8.  Clinging  fast  to  the  gown  of  his  sister, 

The  little  boy  laughed  as  he  flew : 
"He  is  gone  with  the  wind  and  the  lightning ! 
And  I  am  not  frightened — are  you  ? " 

Celia  Thaxter. 


24:  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER    IV. 
OUR   SLOW-FOOTED   NEIGHBORS. 

1.  IN  the  country,  every  scliool-boy  knows  the 
turtle,  and  very  likely  has  made  a  pet  of  it.     It  is 
so  curious  in  its  shape  and  ways,  and  so  different 
from  other  animals,  that  every  one  found  is  taken 
home  as  a  valuable  prize.     The  captor's  interest  is 
excited  in  examining  the  shell  with  its  curious 
markings,  the  openings  upon  the  sides   between 
the  upper  and  lower  plates  for  the  head,  tail,  and 
four  legs,  and  the  valves  which  shut  down  over 
these  openings  when  the  limbs  are  pulled  in.     He 
finds  the  little  fellow  harmless,  but  if  teased  he 
may  feel  a  sudden  grip  that  is  not  pleasant  to 
bear. 

2.  Turtles  are  found  in  great  variety  all  over 
the  world,  and  they  vary  in  size  from  the  little 
creature,  which  the  boy  carries  in  his  pocket,  to 
monsters  weighing  many  hundred  pounds.     They 
are  all  slow  of  foot,  and,  as  they  can  not  run  from 
danger,  they  draw  themselves  within  their  shells, 
and  are  safe  from  nearly  every  kind  of  foe.     Few 
animals  can  do  anything  with  a  live  turtle,  and 
the  hungry  boa  can  manage  it  only  by  swallowing 
it  whole,  and,  after  digesting  the  softer  parts,  re- 
jecting the  shell. 

3.  In  the  tropical  regions  of   South  America 
turtles  are  found  in  incredible  numbers.     The  fol- 


OUR  SLOW-FOOTED  NEIGHBORS.  25 

lowing  account  is  taken  from   the   narrative  of 
Father  Gumilla,  an  early  Spanish  missionary  to 


Mud-Tortoise,  or  Mud-Turtle. 

the   upper   Orinoco.      In   his   travels   Humboldt 
fully  corroborates  the  story  of  the  good  father : 

4.  "  So  great  is  the  number  of  turtles  in  the 
Orinoco  River,  that  whatever  I  may  say  on  this 
subject  will  fall  far  short  of  the  actual  truth ;  and 
I  even  fear  that  many,  in  reading  my  authentic 
account  of  what  I  myself  have  seen,  experienced, 
and  touched  with  my  own  hands,  will  accuse  me 
of  exaggeration  ;  but  it  is  a  fact  that  it  would  be 
as  difficult  to  count  the  sands  of  the  banks  of  the 
Orinoco,  as  to  compute  the  number  of  turtles 
which  it  harbors  on  its  borders  and  in  the  depths 
of  its  currents. 


26  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

5.  "  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  enormous 
consumption  of  these  creatures,  when  we  say  that 
all  the  tribes  from  adjacent  countries,  and  even 
from  those  farther  off,  frequent  the  Orinoco  with 
their  families  to  secure  the  harvest  of  turtles ;  for 
they  not  only  maintain  themselves  therewith  dur- 
ing the  months  that  it  lasts,  but  also  carry  away  a 
large  supply  of  turtle-meat  dried  by  the  fire,  and 
a  still  greater  number  of  baskets  of  dried  eggs. 
But  what  principally  attracts  these  people  is  the 
oil  which  they  gather  from  the  eggs  of  the  turtles, 
to  anoint  themselves  twice  a  day  throughout  the 
year,  and  to  sell  to  more  remote  tribes. 

6.  "  As  soon  as  the  river  begins  to  fall,  and  to 
display  its  first  sand-banks,  in  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, the  turtles,  begin  to  show   themselves,  in 
order  to  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  sand ;  those  that 
appear  first  are  the  smaller  turtles,  called  in  Span- 
ish terecayas,  weighing  about  twenty-five  pounds 
each  ;  these  lay  twenty -four  eggs,  like  hen's  eggs, 
but  without  the  shell,  instead  of  which  they  are 
covered  with  two  membranes,  one  tender  and  the 
other  tough. 

7.  "  Soon  other  turtles  also  appear,  who  in  the 
previous  year  found  no  sand  in  which  to  deposit 
their  eggs,  or  were  prevented  from  so  doing  by 
the  great  number  assembled  there.     These  large 
turtles,  weighing  fifty  pounds  each,  deposit  sixty- 
two  or  sixty -four  round  eggs,  larger  than  those  of 
the  terecayaSj  with  stronger  membrane,  and  with 


OUR  SLOW-FOOTED  NEIGHBORS.  27 

which  the  Indians  play  ball  on  shore,  or  egg  each 
other  in  sport.  In  each  nest  there  is  one  larger 
than  the  rest,  from  which  the  male  is  hatched ;  all 
the  others  are  females. 

8.  "  About  this  time  the  Indians  begin  to  ar- 
rive.   Some  of  them  build  straw  huts  ;  others  con- 


Green  Turtle. 

tent  themselves  by  driving  poles  in  the  sand  from 
which  to  swing  hammocks.  A  multitude  of  tigers 
also  appear,  to  feed  upon  turtles,  which  they  de- 
vour in  spite  of  their  strong  shell ;  a  circumstance 
which  by  no  means  adds  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
Indians,  who  have  no  other  mode  of  keeping 
them  off  than  by  fires  at  night ;  but,  in  spite  of 


28  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

all  precautions,  some  Indians  are  devoured  every 
year. 

9.  "  Fearing  the  heat  of  the  sun,  which  often 
kills  them  on  the  sand-banks,  the  turtles  at  first 
come  out  only  at  nightfall  to  lay  their  eggs ;  but, 
as  the  season  advances,  the  gathering  is  so  great, 
that  the  multitudes  already  out  prevent  the  pas- 
sage of  still  greater  numbers,  which,  with  their 
heads  above  water,  are  waiting  a  chance  to  pass 
on ;  and,  so  soon  as  an  opportunity  presents  itself, 
they  hasten  to  lay  all  their  eggs  at  once — the  bur- 
den of  which  they  can  not  support  without  great 
inconvenience — regardless  of  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
which  often  costs  many  of  them  their  lives. 

10.  "I  have  noticed  three  curious  facts  with 
reference  to  these  turtle-visits.    The  first  is  that, 
after  laying  their  eggs  in  holes  which  they  dig  for 
the  purpose,  they  carefully  cover  them  again,  leav- 
ing the  sand  level  as  before.     To  prevent  their 
tracks  leading  to  the  discovery,  they  tramp  all 
around  the  nests,  so  that  a  large  track  looks  all 
alike.     But  these  precautions  are  vain,  however, 
as  against  man,  for  the  sand  remains  quite  loose, 
and  gives  way  under  the  foot,  and  by  this  means 
the  eggs  are  found  in  the  early  part  of  the  season ; 
but  in  the  height  of  the  harvest  there  is  no  need 
of  looking  for  signs,  for  in  the  same  sand  scores  of 
turtles  lay  their  eggs  successively,  and  in  such  pro- 
digious  quantities  that  wherever  the  Indians  may 
dig  they  find  them  in  heaps,  the  animals  them- 


OUR  SLOW-FOOTED  NEIGHBORS.  29 

selves  scattering  them  all  over  the  ground  while 
digging  their  own  nests. 

11.  "The  second  fact  which  I  have  observed 
is  that  so  great  is  the  heat  of  the  sun  that  the 
young  turtles  come  out  in  about  three  days'  time, 
and  are  then  about  the  size  of  a  half-dollar.     The 
third  point  is  that  the  young  turtles,  on  coming 
out  of  their  shells,  do  not  leave  their  nests  by  day- 
light, instinct  having  taught  them  that  the  heat  of 
the  sun  will  kill  them.     They  come  forth,  there- 
fore, in  the  silence  and  cool  of  the  night;  and 
what  excited  my  admiration  is  that,  although  the 
nest  may  be  half  a  mile  or  more  from  the  river, 
they  never  mistake  the  road,  but  go  in  a  direct 
line  to  the  water.     I  have  often  carried  them  to  a 
great  distance,  and  turned  them  about,  but  when- 
ever they  were  free  they  made  straight  for  the 
water. 

12.  "About  this  time  the  Indians,  both  men 
and  women,  rise  very  early,  and  the  former  turn 
over  as  many  turtles  as  they  please,  leaving  them 
on  their  backs  in  such  a  way  as  to  render  them 
incapable  of  resuming  their  natural  position  ;  for, 
although  they  strive  with  their  paddles  to  right 
themselves,  their  backs  are  so  high  that  they  can 
not  touch  the  ground  in  order  to  obtain  a  foot- 
hold.    They  are  then  carried  to  the  ranches  and 
left  upon  their  backs.    Meanwhile,  the  women  and 
children  occupy  themselves  in  filling  and  carrying 
baskets  of  eggs  and  little  turtles  to  the  ranches, 


30  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

making  large  heaps  of  the  former,  and  keeping  the 
latter  in  baskets  to  prevent  their  escape  to  the 
river. 

13.  "The  men  dig  holes  in  the  sand,  down  to 
the  level  of  the  river,  which  are  quickly  filled  with 
water,  and  place  therein  baby  turtles  to  be  eaten 
when  wanted  ;  each  of  which  makes  a  delicious 
mouthful,  free  from  bones,  the  very  shells  being 
soft  and  tasty.  The  number  of  young  turtles 
eaten  daily  by  these  hundreds  of  families  is  incal- 
culable. But  the  quantity  of  eggs  consumed  is 
even  greater,  both  for  food  and  for  the  extraction 
of  oil ;  so  great,  indeed,  that,  notwithstanding  the 
size  of  the  Orinoco  River,  it  is  the  opinion  of 
those  who  have  studied  the  matter  that  if  it  were 
not  for  this  yearly  destruction  the  river  itself 
would  soon  be  unlit  for  navigation,  for  the  great 
numbers  of  turtles  that  would  appear." 


CHAPTER   V. 
THE    KING    OF  TROPICAL   WATERS. 

1.  THE  Matiyure  River  is  celebrated  for  the 
number  and  size  of  its  crocodiles.  As  I  sat 
sketching  on  the  banks,  I  could  perceive  them 
gliding  slowly  under  the  still  waters,  the  upper 
part  of  the  head  alone  visible,  and  seeming  to 
watch  me  with  an  evil  eye.  The  beach  being 


THE  KING   OF  TROPICAL    WATERS. 


31 


strewed  with  their  egg-shells,  I  concluded  this  to 
be  a  favorite  resort  with  them  during  the  breed- 
ing-season. The  female  lays  about  forty  eggs  in 
a  hole  which  she  digs  in  the  sand,  leaving  to  the 
hot  sun  the  care  of  hatching  them.  These  eggs, 
twice  as  large  as  those  of  the  turkey,  are  consid- 
ered a  great  delicacy  by  the  Indians  and  jaguars, 
who  frequently  purloin  them  before  they  are 
hatched. 

2.  There  is  another  enemy  of  young  croco- 
diles, attacking  them  as  they  come  out  of  the 
shell.  After  they  betake  themselves  to  the  water, 
the  older  ones,  prompted,  no  doubt,  by  motives  of 
family  pride  to  keep  them  within  their  own  circle, 


Head  of  Florida  Crocodile,  from  Life. 

swallow  these  tender  members — thus  preventing 
all  other  intimacies.  Notwithstanding  this  admi- 
rable provision  of  Divine  Wisdom,  and  a  constant 
war  maintained  by  man  and  beast  against  them, 
they  are  so  numerous  in  some  parts  of  the  river 


32  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

that,  if  stationary,  their  bodies  would  completely 
bridge  its  surface  from  bank  to  bank. 

3.  Despite  their  great  voracity,  the  mother  ex- 
hibits some  degree  of  tenderness  toward  her  off- 
spring.    Possessed,  in  this  case,  with  an  instinct 
almost  infallible,  she  returns  at  a  period  when  in- 
cubation is  completed,  and  assists  her  young  in 
extricating  themselves  from  the  shell.    Unlike  the 
eggs  of  birds,  crocodiles'  eggs  are  soft  and  pliable 
as  those  of  the  turtle,  yielding,  when  handled,  to 
the  pressure  of  the  fingers,  yet  so  tough  that  it  is 
difficult  to  break  them,  and  in  appearance  resem- 
bling white  parchment. 

4.  At  the  very  moment  of  liberation,  the  young 
crocodiles  display  their  savage  nature  .in  a  wonder- 
ful degree,  biting  at  every  object  within  reach; 
also  the  same  vicious  propensity  is  exhibited  by 
those  extricated  even  before  the  completion  of  in- 
cubation. 

5.  I  was  once  greatly  amused  in  watching  a 
struggle  between  two and  one  of  these  young- 
sters not  larger  than  a  good-sized  lizard.     Each 
time  the  birds  made  a  dash  at  him,  this  little  sau- 
rian, grunting  savagely,  darted  forward  with  wide- 
open  jaws,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  a  young 
dragon.     During  ten  minutes  the  struggle  contin- 
ued without  decided  advantage  on   either   side, 
when  one  of  the  assailants,  changing  his  tactics, 
suddenly  seized  the  crocodile  by  the  neck  with  his 
sharp  claws  and  soared  triumphantly  with  him 


THE  KING   OF  TROPICAL    WATERS.  33 

into  high  air.  There  loosing  his  hold,  the  bird 
followed  his  descent  with  wonderful  rapidity,  pre- 
pared, when  he  reached  the  ground,  to  repeat  the 
blow ;  but,  already  half  stunned,  the  victim  soon 
yielded  to  superior  cunning. 

6.  When  the  savannas  are  overflowed,  these 
carnivorous  and  malicious  reptiles  spread  them- 
selves over  the  face  of  the  country,  committing 
great  havoc  among  young  animals.     So  destruc- 
tive have  they  proved  to  the  calves  and  foals  on 
this  estate,  that  the  owner  offered,  on  one  occa- 
sion, a  reward  of  half  a  dollar  a  head  for  every 
crocodile  killed  upon  his  lands,  it  being  sufficient 
for  the  claimant  to  produce,  in  evidence  of  suc- 
cess, the  two  great  tusks  of  the  upper  jaws.     The 
result  of  this  ukase  was,  that  before  the  expira- 
tion of  a  month  more  than  four  hundred  croco- 
diles had  been  destroyed,  yet  no  sensible  diminu- 
tion was  observable,  neither  did  the  persevering 
dragonade  against  them  quench  in  the  least  their 
boldness. 

7.  This  expedient  proving  useless,  they  had 
been  suffered  to  remain  unmolested  until  our  ar- 
rival at  Los  Laureles,  when  we  determined  to  ex- 
terminate those  at  least  which  infested  that  pass 
of  the  river  where  we  performed  our  daily  ablu- 
tions and  watered  the  horses.     Accordingly,  one 
day  a  party  of  us  started  for  a  bend  of  the  river 
where  the  water  appeared  to  be  very  still  and 
deep.     None   of    the   usual   angling   implements 


34  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

were  required  in  this  sport ;  we  used  only  a  strong 
lasso  and  a  hoop  about  three  feet  in  diameter  made 
from  a  light  vine  common  on  the  banks  of  these 
rivers.  Around  this  hoop  the  fresh  lungs  of  a 
bullock,  cut  in  thin  strips,  were  twisted  and  se- 
curely fastened.  The  running  noose  of  the  lasso 
was  then  laid  over  the  bait  and  tied  there  with 
tendrils  from  the  same  vine. 

8.  All   being   ready,   this    simple   decoy   was 
launched  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  we  retain- 
ing on  shore  the  other  end  of  the  lasso.     Aroused 
by  the  splash,  two  large  crocodiles  appeared  and 
rushed  for  the  bait  with  open  jaws.     The  success- 
ful one,  in  his  eagerness  to  escape  with  his  prize, 
burst  the  slender  vines  that  secured  the  noose  to 
the  hoop,  which  last  projected  beyond  his  snout, 
and  the  noose  on  its  recoil  sliding  over,  firmly  las- 
soed his  upper  jaw.     With  shouts  of  exultation 
we  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  the  man  who 
held   the  lasso,  seeing  him  unable  to  cope  with 
the  monster,  more  than  a  match  for  half  a  dozen 
men. 

9.  By  our  united  efforts  we  finally  succeeded 
in  dragging  him  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  em- 
bankment ;    when,  catching  sight  of   our  earnest 
faces  watching  him  over  the  cliff,  he  tossed  up  his 
head  with  such  sudden  violence  as  to  pull  the 
thong  through  our  hands  to  its  full  length,  and 
retreated  in  triumph  to  the  middle  of  the  stream. 
The  tough  hide,  however,  from  which  the  thong 


THE  KING   OF  TROPICAL    WATERS.  35 

was  twisted,  proved  equal  to  the  emergency,  and 
with,  one  more  strenuous  effort  we  succeeded  in 
landing  him  upon  the  beach. 

10.  The  Indians  of  the  Orinoco  River,  where 
the  crocodiles  are  said  to  be  still  larger  and  more 
savage  than  those  of  its  tributary  streams,  make 
use  of   other  devices  for  ridding  themselves  of 
those  at  least  that  infest  the  places  frequented  by 
them.     One  of  these  contrivances  is  as  novel  as 
most  of  the  productions  of  their  fertile  imagina- 
tions for  ministering  to  their  wants,  and  consists 
in  shooting  at  the  monster's  eyes  arrows  tipped 
with  a  wild  cane,  said  to  be  very  poisonous  to 
crocodiles — so  much  so  that,  a  few  minutes  after, 
they  are  seen   floating  on  the  water  quite  dead. 
Another  device,  equally  effective,  consists  in  se- 
curing a  strong  rope,  or  lasso,  to  the  middle  of  a 
stout  stick  of  hard  wood,  which  is  then  covered 
up  with  a  large  fish  or  piece  of  meat,  and  thrown 
in  the  water;    not  many  minutes   elapse  before 
the  crocodile  seizes  and  swallows  the  bait,  stake 
and  all,  when  it  is  quickly  hauled  on  shore  by 
means  of  the  lasso  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians. 

11.  By  way  of  sport,  these  people  avail  them- 
selves of  the  same  artifice  to  capture  a  crocodile 
on  shore,  when  sunning  itself ;  but  this  time  with- 
out bait,  as  the  man  alone  is  sufficient  allurement 
to  rouse  the  monster's  appetite,  especially  if  it  is 
a  man-eater ;  the  only  improvement  made  on  the 
stake  being  that  of  sharpening  it  at  both  ends. 


36  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

The  Indian  now  seizes  the  stick  by  the  middle 
and  fearlessly  approaches  the  crocodile,  which  at 
once  makes  a  dash  at  its  antagonist,  with  its  jaws 
wide  open ;  but  the  native  easily  evades  the  onset 
by  stepping  aside  a  little,  as  the  reptile,  on  account 
of  the  configuration  of  its  spine,  can  not  turn  round 
upon  him,  except  after  describing  a  long  circle ; 
a  second  and  a  third  onset  are  equally  unsuccess- 
ful, as  the  sportsman  purposely  avoids  the  collis- 
ion by  moving  off  when  the  animal  comes  up 
close  to  him.  Having  by  this  time  proved  his 
dexterity,  the  Indian  gives  it  the  final  blow  by 
plunging  the  stick  in  a  vertical  position  into  the 
ghastly  jaws  of  the  fierce  monster,  which,  feeling 
confident  of  crushing. its  enemy  this  time  between 
its  powerful  tusks,  shuts  them  with  a  crash,  which 
only  assists  in  forcing  both  ends  of  the  stake  into 
the  upper  and  lower  jaws;  thus  transfixed,  the 
once  terror  of  the  river  becomes  the  sport  of  the 
Indian  boys,  who  eagerly  seize  upon  the  thong, 
and  ignominiously  drag  the  reptile  powerless  over 
the  sand. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
SCALY  TENANTS   OF  THE   WILD. 

1.  IN  country  places,  children,  when  rambling 
through  the  fields  and  woods,  sometimes  find  a 
little  creature  crawling  out  of  some  secret  place, 


SCALY  TENANTS  OF  THE    WILD.  37 

which  at  first  excites  their  curiosity,  and  fills 
them  with  a  vague  fear.  It  is  neither  a  snake, 
nor  a  frog,  nor  a  fish,  yet  it  has  features  which  re- 
call all  three.  It  has  a  long,  round  body  like  the 
snake,  four  legs  placed  upon  its  sides  like  a  frog, 
and  is  covered  with  scales  like  a  fish.  It  is  about 
six  inches  long,  and  travels  over  the  ground  at  a 
smart  pace.  This  is  a  timid,  harmless  little  lizard, 
and  it  is  probably  much  more  frightened  than  the 
children  who  have  discovered  him. 

2.  Now  do  not  kill  this  queer  fellow,  but  let  us 
study  him  a  little  closer.     We  see  that  in  shape 
it  is  like  the  pictures  of  alligators  we  have  seen  in 
books.     Its  head,  with  its  enormous  mouth,  resem- 
bles that  of  a  frog.    Its  legs  are  placed  so  high  up 
on  its  sides    that  in   running  it  partly  drags  its 
body  on  the  ground,  and  its  feet  are  armed  with 
five  long,  pointed  toes.     Its  tail  is  thick  and  taper- 
ing, and  is  often  longer  than  all  the  rest  of  the 
body.     It  is   covered  with  curious   little   scales, 
usually  dark-colored  above  and  lighter  below. 

3.  If  we  watch  this  new  friend  of  ours  we 
shall  see  how  it  lives  and  moves.    It  crawls  slowly 
along  the  ground,  or  over  the  prostrate  trunks  of 
old  trees.     Should  some  enemy  appear,  or  in  any 
way  it  become  frightened,  then  it  opens  its  huge 
mouth  and  thrusts  out  its  red,  forked  tongue  after 
the  manner  of  serpents.     In  no  way  can  it  hurt 
anybody,  but  it  succeeds  in  scaring  most  animals 
and  men  before  they  learn  that  the  show  of  the 


38  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

tongue  and  the  hiss  which  goes  with  it  are  as  harm- 
less as  the  "  faces  "  which  school-children  make  at 
each  other.  Like  the  frog,  it  catches  insects  for 
its  prey.  It  lays  eggs  covered  with  a  tough  mem- 
brane, but  without  shell,  on  the  ground  or  in  hol- 
low trees.  Most  lizards  are  nocturnal,  coming  out 
for  their  food  only  in  the  night. 

4.  These  little  creatures  have   the   power  of 
sustaining  life  a  long  time  without  food.     In  the 
North  are  several  varieties,  all  small,  but  of  differ- 
ent colors,  red,  green,  and  brown.     As  winter  ap- 
proaches  the  lizard  crawls  away  to  some  secret 
and  sheltered  place,  beneath  an  old  log,  in  a  hol- 
low tree,  or  under  a  heap  of  leaves,  and  there  it 
lies  dormant  and  motionless  until  spring.     In  the 
coldest  weather  it  is  frozen  stiff,  but  this  does  not 
put  an  end  to  its  life,  for  in  the  spring  it  comes  out 
and  goes  about  its  old  business  of  catching  flies. 

5.  The  horned  lizard  of  Mexico  and  the  West- 
ern States  is  covered  with  spines.    It  runs  swiftly, 
and  is  of  the  color  of  the  ground,  so  that  it  can  not 
readily  be  seen ;  but,  whether  covered  with  scales 
or  warts,  once  a  year  the  lizard  crawls  out  of  his 
old  skin  and  appears  in  a  new  coat,  without  ap- 
parently feeling  proud.     While  some  lizards  lay 
eggs  in  hollow  trees,  in  warm  regions  most  varie- 
ties lay  eggs  in  the  sand,  where  they  hatch  out  by 
the  heat  of  the  sun. 

6.  The  iguana  is  a  monster  lizard,  found  in 
tropical  America.    It  attains  a  length  of  five  feet, 


SCALY  TENANTS  OF  THE   WILD. 


39 


and  can  strike  a  powerful  blow  with  its  tail.     Its 
tongue  is  long  and  horny  on  its  point,  for  the  pur- 


Common  Iguana. 

pose  of  assisting  in  eating  the  vegetables  which 
it  lives  upon.  Its  home  is  among  the  trees,  and, 
being  an  exclusive  vegetarian,  its  flesh  is  good  for 
food,  and  in  some  parts  of  South  America  it  is 
considered  a  great  luxury.  The  anolis  of  the 
Southern  States  belongs  to  the  same  family  as  the 
iguana,  and  is  a  vegetable-eater.  It  has  the  re- 
markable power  of  changing  its  color,  like  the 


40  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

chameleon  of  Asia  and  Africa,  another  lizard  which 
has  its  home  on  trees,  but  catches  flies  for  food. 
All  these  can  appear  green,  blue,  gray,  or  black, 
according  to  the  color  of  the  things  that  surround 
them. 

7.  The  gecko  is  a  species  of  lizard  very  com- 
mon in  India.     It  has  a  peculiar  clucking  sound, 
like  the  cry  which  riders  use  to  urge  forward  their 
horses,  and  hence  its  name,  geck-o.     The  back  is 
covered  with  brown  scales,  and  on  each  side  of  its 
tail  are  rows  of  fleshy  protuberances  like  fingers. 
This  creature  climbs  perpendicular  walls  with  ease, 
and  is  a  very  common  visitant  to  houses  in  pursuit 
of  flies.    After  an  absence  of  a  few  days,  the  owner 
of  a  house  returns  and  finds  these  lizards  by  hun- 
dreds hanging  from  the  ceiling,  digesting  the  game 
that  they  have  just  bagged.     Its  movements  are 
so  rapid  and  silent  that  the  natives  regard  it  as 
something  supernatural. 

8.  One  of  the  most  curious  of  the  lizards  is  an 
odd  little  fellow  called  the  "  flying  dragon."     It  is 
a  native  of  the  East  India  islands,  and  is  an  insect- 
eater.     This  singular  creature  has  wings  on  each 
side  of  its  body,  which  it  can  spread  out  like  the 
expanded  fins  of  a  fish,  and  which  support  it  in 
its  leaps  from  branch   to   branch.     It   has   been 
known  to  leap  the  distance  of  ninety  feet.     When 
the  dragon  is  at  rest,  the  wings  fold  up  close  to  its 
side,  but  when  preparing  to  leap  they  expand  like 
those  of  a  bird  fluttering  in  the  air.     From  a  high 


SCALY  TENANTS   OF  THE   WILD.  41 

point  it  takes  its  daring  leap,  and  gently  reaches 
the  ground.  The  dragon,  in  spite  of  its  name,  is 
perfectly  harmless,  but  it  wages  war  on  flies,  in 
sects,  and  creeping  vermin.  In  some  parts  of  the 
East  it  is  protected  by  the  public  sentiment  for 
the  good  it  does. 

9.  The  basilisk,  a  lizard  of  the  Libyan  Desert, 
was  supposed  to  possess  supernatural  powers.     It 
was  the  king  of  serpents,  and  before  it  all  other 
animals  were  forced  to  fly.     Its  eye  was  so  keen 
that  even  a  man  would  fall  dead  from  a  single 
glance.     While  most  lizards  have  four  feet,  there 
are  species  with  only  two ;  in  some  cases  the  fore- 
legs and  in  others  the  hind-legs  are  wanting.    The 
glass-snake  is  a  lizard  with  only  rudimentary  legs, 
which  when   struck  break  up  in   pieces.     There 
are  between  seven  and  eight  hundred  species  of 
lizards,  the  most  of  them  inhabitants  of  tropical 
regions.     In  the  rocks  are  found  specimens  of  liz- 
ard-like forms  sixty  feet  long,  fit  companions  of  the 
mastodon  and  other  huge  animals  that  formerly 
inhabited  the  earth. 

10.  One  of  the  terrors  of  the  prospector  and 
cow-boy  in  Arizona  is  the  so-called  Gila  *  monster, 
a  large,  beautifully  marked  orange  and  black  liz- 
ard, sometimes  attaining  a  length  of  twenty  inches, 
and  having  quite  long  legs,  so  that,  when  running, 
the  body  entirely  clears  the  ground.     The  bite  of 
this  creature  is  said  to  be  most  venomous ;  and, 

*  Pronounced  Tiela. 


42  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

moreover,  many  people  firmly  believe  that,  should 
by  any  chance  its  breath  be  inhaled,  a  total  paraly- 
sis of  the  body  will  follow. 

11.  These  lizards  are  usually  met  with  in  arid, 
sandy  places,  frequently  crawling  along  the  trav- 


Green  and  Spotted  Lizards. 

eled  roads  and  tracts.  They  are  sluggish  of  move- 
ment, easily  captured,  and  not  in  the  least  ag- 
gressive. None  the  less  they  fall  a  prey  to  the 
ignorant  superstition  which  calls  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  all  creeping  things. 


SCALY  TENANTS  OF  THE   WILD.  43 

12.  While  living  for  a  time  in  Tucson,  Arizo- 
na's largest  town,  there  came  to  us  one  day,  by  ex- 
press, a  package  from  a  friend  in  another  part  of 
the  Territory.     Knowing  him  as  a  collector  of  all 
sorts  of  queer  bugs  and  beasts,  we  were  not  sur- 
prised, on  opening  the  box,  to  discover  the  odd- 
looking  saurian  curled  snugly  away  in  one  corner. 
On  first  sight  we  were  inclined  to  give  the  stranger 
a  rather  cold  reception,  his  looks  were  so  uncan- 
ny ;  and  then,  when  alarmed,  he  darted  out  a  long, 
forked  tongue  in  a  truly  menacing  manner.     As 
Mr.  T ,  however,  had  vouched  for  his  good  be- 
havior, we  opened  our  hearts  and  adopted  him  as 
one  of  our  pets.     At  first  he  was  given  the  free- 
dom of  one  room,  about  which  he  crawled  rather 
timidly,  at  last  taking  refuge  behind  a  huge  In- 
dian water-jar  or  olla,  which  stood  by  the  fire- 
place. 

13.  This  corner  he  made  his  retreat,  and  here 
he  spent  his  hours  of  retirement.     We  finally  dis- 
covered that  during  these  periods  he,  like  many 
other  prisoners,  attempted  to  tunnel  his  way  out, 
and  indeed  succeeded  in  making  a  large  excava- 
tion in  the  soft  adobe  wall,  by  means  of  his  fore- 
feet.    Our  two  dogs,  in  the  beginning,  eyed  Mon- 
ster with  aversion,  and  sniffed  at  him  suspiciously. 
If  they  came    too  near,   he  would  hiss  fiercely, 
shooting  out  his  wicked-looking  tongue,  when  they 
would  wisely  retreat. 

14.  We  were  at  a  loss  to  know  what  food  our 


44  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

lizard  required,  until  our  kind  Mr.  T-  -  suggested 
an  egg-diet,  and  this  proved  most  acceptable.  The 
egg  was  first  broken  into  a  saucer  and  placed  be- 
fore Monster,  who,  having  been  induced  to  take 
one  taste,  eagerly  continued  to  lap,  in  cat-fashion, 
until  the  dish  was  emptied.  At  intervals  water 
was  taken,  but  never  in  large  quantities. 

15.  In  time  our  pet  had  the  run  of  the  house, 
and  went  about  where  he  wished ;  occasionally 
taking  a  turn  out  in  the  corral,  where  among  the 
grass-roots  he  found  food  to  his  liking.     At  night 
we  frequently  heard  him  prowling  about.     He  be- 
came entirely  accustomed  to  the  various  members 
of  the  family,  and  would  permit  us  to  scratch  his 
back,  evidently  greatly  enjoying  the  sport. 

16.  One  morning,  while  he  lay  basking  in  the 
sunshine  in  our  alameda,  or  inclosed  veranda,  in  an 
ill-advised  moment  an  inmate  of  the  house  was 
impelled  to  tickle  his  nose.     The  poor  creature 
was  rudely  awakened,  and,  in  his  fright,  seized  the 
offending  finger.     As  a  result  a  deep  wound  was 
inflicted  by  the  sharp  teeth.     An  hour  or  more 
passed  before  the  fact  was  mentioned,  and  then  it 
came  about  incidentally,  for  the  inquiry  about  the 
bandaged    hand   being    evaded,  "  my  lady "  said 
jokingly,  "  I  believe  the  Gila  monster  has  bitten 
you."     The  late  discovery  that  this  was  the  case 
caused  some  alarm ;  strong  ammonia  was  applied, 
but  no  serious  results  followed,  nor  was  the  finger 
so  sore  as  is  usual  with  a  cut. 


ANIMAL  LIFE  IN  MADAGASCAR.  45 

17.  Soon  after,  our  pet  was  missing;  he  had 
been  tempted  to  stray  through  the  open  gate,  and 
to  wander  into  a  neighboring  corral.  Our  search 
revealed  his  untimely  fate,  for  a  hard-hearted 
baker  discovered  him,  and,  following  the  fashion 
of  the  country,  had  ruthlessly  killed  our  harmless 
little  friend. 


CHAPTER   VII. 
ANIMAL   LIFE    IN    MADAGASCAR. 

1.  IJST  the  solitudes  of  Madagascar,  where  the 
forests  are  immense,  and  where  animals  can  multi- 
ply without  fear  of  man,  the  fauna  possesses  some 
singular  features.     The  traveler  can    pass  along 
without  fear  of  the  lions,  leopards,  and  panthers 
of  Africa  and  Asia ;  neither  do  zebras  and  quag- 
gas  gallop  over  the  plains.     In  other  countries, 
wherever  the  climate  is  hot  enough,  monkeys  en- 
liven the  woods ;  here  not  a  species  is  to  be  found. 

2.  It  is  true  that  there  are  large  herds  of  cat- 
tle, which  constitute  the  principal  riches  of  the 
natives,  but  these  have  been  imported  from  Asia. 
This  species  is  remarkable  from  the  lump  of  fat  on 
its  back,  and  is  strikingly  beautiful  when  seen  in 
large  herds  wandering  over  the  plains.    The  sheep, 
too,  are  peculiar,  from  their  enormous  tails,  which 
consist  of   a  mass  of   fat — a  common  feature  in 
those  belonging  to  the  African  Continent.     Goats 


46  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

abound,  as  well  as  wild  pigs,  which  ravage  the 
plantations  ;  but  these  are  all  supposed  to  have 
escaped  from  vessels,  and  not  to  be  indigenous  to 
the  island. 

3.  The  monkeys  of  other  lands  are,  however, 
replaced  by  the  lemurs — graceful  little  creatures 
of  many  varieties.  There  is  a  great  resemblance 
in  their  attitude  and  manner  of  life  to  the  ape,  so 


The  Aye- Aye  and  a  Lemur  in  the  forests  of  Madagascar. 

that  they  have  been  styled  monkeys  with  the 
fox's  head.  Their  agility  is  marvelous ;  they  leap 
through  the  air  to  a  great  distance,  settling  on  a 
branch,  which  perhaps  bends  under  their  weight, 


ANIMAL   LIFE  IN  MADAGASCAR.  47 

and  dart  off  again  in  evolutions  of  astonishing 
rapidity.  The  largest  kind  are  about  three  feet 
long ;  the  smallest  are  not  larger  than  a  rat. 

4.  In  the  most  solitary  parts  of  the  southwest 
region  lives  that  strange  creature,  the  aye-aye.     A 
nocturnal    animal,  gentle  and  timid,  it    is  about 
the  size  of  a  cat,  with  a  large  head,  round  full 
eyes  much  like  those  of  an  owl,  an  enormous  tail, 
and  most  curious  formation  of  the  fore-paws,  the 
middle  finger  being  long  and  slender.     This,  which 
looks  like  a  deformity,  is,  in  truth  a  wonderful 
arrangement  of  Nature  for  its  special  way  of  life. 
As  it  lives  on  the  larvae  hidden  in  the  trunks  of 
trees,  the  finger  can  be  easily  introduced  into  the 
fissures   from  which   it   tears   the   coveted   prey. 
Naturalists  think  it  forms   a   link   between   the 
squirrel  and  monkey.     The  natives  seem  to  have 
a  superstitious,  dread  of  the  animal,  owing  to  its 
sleeping  all  the  day  in  the  most  secret  haunts ; 
nor  do  they  ever  molest  it,  astonished  as  they 
seem  to  be  by  its  peculiar  form  and  movements. 

5.  There  is  another  class  of  mammals  peculiar 
to   this   island,  called   by  the   natives   tendraks. 
They  seem  to  be  closely  allied  to  the  hedgehog, 
and  are  covered  with  spines.     But  the  teeth  differ 
and  the  tail  is  wanting ;  neither  do  they  roll  them- 
selves into  a  ball,  but,  when  frightened,  hide  the 
head  between  the  paws.     Seven  or  eight  species 
have  been  discovered,  in  some  of  which  the  spines 
are  soft  and  cover  only  a  part  of  the  body.     They 


4:8  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

are  all  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  and  their  flesh  is 
very  good  to  eat.  The  flesh-eating  animals  are  all 
small.  The  wild  cat  is  a  pretty  creature.  Its  back 
is  fawn-colored,  with  four  stripes  of  reddish  brown, 
and  yellowish  white  under  the  body  and  paws. 
The  ichneumon,  with  its  long,  thin  body  and 
shaded  skin,  is  only  half  the  size  of  its  cousin  of 
Egypt.  It  is  a  fearful  enemy  of  all  small  animals, 
as  rats,  mice,  and  snakes,  and  one  species  feeds 
greedily  on  honey.  The  only  plantigrade  is  of  the 
size  and  appearance  of  a  cat,  but  with  feet  formed 
like  those  of  a  bear. 

6.  It  is  very  different  in  regard  to  birds ;  they 
can  fly  far,  and  so  the  tern,  the  petrel,  the  alba- 
tross, and  many  other  well-known  birds,  abound 
on  the  island.     One  large  species  of  duck,  with 
bronze  and  violet  reflections  like  metals,  its  white 
head  and  neck  spotted  with  black,  is  a  great  favor- 
ite with  the  natives.     In  the  marshes  stalks  the 
proud  sultana-hen,  with  its  magnificent  blue  body, 
a  red  patch  on  its  head,  and  coral  feet  adorned 
with  a  tuft  of  white  feathers.     The  jacana,  a  bird 
of  the  water-hen  family,  is  also  peculiar  to  this 
place  ;  mounted  on  legs  like  stilts,  and  extremely 
long  feet,  it  runs  through  the  tall  grass,  or  upon 
the  floating  water-leaves,  with  great  rapidity.     Its 
food  is  the  leaves  and  roots  of  water-plants,  and 
such  insects  and  frogs  as  it  can  readily  swallow. 

7.  The  sacred  ibis  of  Egypt  is  found  in  large 
flocks.     The  crested  ibis  is  peculiar  to  the  coun- 


ANIMAL  LIFE  IN  MADAGASCAR.  49 

try — a  beautiful  bird,  bright-eyed,  with  yellow 
beak  and  claws,  and  a  green  head  from  which  the 
long  plume  of  white  and  green  feathers  lies  back. 
The  beautiful  cardinal,  in  its  bright  scarlet  robe, 
black  spotted  on  the  back,  haunts  the  open  glades 
of  the  forest ;  and  on  the  banks  of  streams  are 
numerous  linnets,  wagtails,  and  humming-birds. 

8.  As  for  the  reptile  class,  it  is  pleasant  for 
the  traveler  to  walk  through  the  forests,  knowing 
that  the  poisonous  species  are  unknown.     Beau- 
tiful lizards,  covered  with  brilliant  scales  of  olive 
or  fawn,  hide  themselves  under  the  stones  or  in 
old  trees.     But  the  chameleon  is  the  most  com- 
mon of  all  the  lizards  ;  in  the  heart  of  the  forests 
it  may  be  seen  crouched  on  the  branches,  calm 
and  immovable,  but  rolling  its  large  eyes  in  all 
directions  to  look  out  for  insects.     The  crocodile 
is  the  only  creature  to  be  feared,  and  the  natives 
have  learned  to  shun  the  water  which  it  inhabits. 

9.  There  was   a  time  when    much   more   re- 
markable animals  lived  upon  Madagascar.     In  the 
marshes  near  one  of  the  principal  rivers,  the  bones 
have  been  found  of  the  hippopotamus,  and  im 
mense  tortoises  ;  and  near  by  have  been  discov- 
ered the  feet  and  eggs  of  gigantic  birds.     These 
remains  were  so  fresh  that  it  was  thought  that 
living  specimens  of  the  bird  might  still  be  found 
in  the  interior ;  but  this  hope  is  now  abandoned, 
though  it  is  evident  that  they  existed  in  large 
numbers  at  a  very  recent  period.     They  probably 


50  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

disappeared  before  their  cousin  the  dodo  of  Mau- 
ritius.    Their  eggs  are  six  times  as  large  as  those 

Of  the  OStrich.  CJiamlerfs  Journal. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 
BIRDS   IN    SPRING. 

1.  LISTEN  !     What  a  sudden  rustle 

Fills  the  air ! 
All  the  birds  are  in  a  bustle 

Everywhere. 
Such  a  ceaseless  croon  and  twitter 

Overhead ! 
Such  a  flash  of  wings  that  glitter 

Wide  outspread ! 

2.  Far  away  I  hear  a  drumming, 

Tap,  tap,  tap ! 
Can  the  woodpecker  be  coming 

After  sap  ? 
Butterflies  are  hovering  over, 

Swarms  on  swarms, 
Yonder  meadow-patch  of  clover 

Like  snow-storms. 

3.  Through  the  vibrant  air  a-tingle 

Buzzingly, 

Throbs  and  o'er  me  darts  a  single 
Bumble-bee. 


BIRDS  IN  SPRING. 


51 


Lissom  swayings  make  the  willows 

One  bright  sheen, 
Which  the  breeze  puffs  out  in  billows 

Foaming  green. 


4.  From  the  marshy  brook  that's  smoking 

In  the  fog, 
I  can  catch  the  crool  and  croaking 

Of  a  frog. 
Dogwood  stars  the  slopes  are  studding, 

And  I  see 


52  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

Blooms  upon  the  purple-budding 
Judas-tree. 

5.  Aspen-tassels  thick  are  dropping 

All  about, 
And  the  alder-leaves  are  cropping 

Broader  out ; 
Mouse-ear  tufts  the  hawthorn  sprinkle, 

Edged  with  rose ; 
The  park-bed  of  periwinkle 

Fresher  grows. 

6.  Up  and  down  the  midges  dancing 

On  the  grass : 
How  their  gauzy  wings  are  glancing 

As  they  pass  ! 
What  does  all  this  haste  and  hurry 

Mean,  I  pray — 
All  this  out-door  flush  and  flurry 

Seen  to-day  ? 
This  presaging  stir  and  humming, 

Thrill  and  call  ? 
Mean  ?    It  means  that  spring  is  coming ; 

That  is  all ! 

Margaret  J.  Preston. 


ABOUT  EELS.  53 

CHAPTER    IX. 
ABOUT   EELS. 

1.  EELS  are  among  the  mysteries  of  this  world. 
In  spite  of  the  way  in  which  Dame  Science  has  per- 
sistently poked  her  nose  into  most  things,  and  has 
harried  them  and  laid  them  bare,  she  has  succeeded 
in  finding  out  but  little  about  eels  and  their  mode 
of  life.     However,  it  would  be  rash  to  go  as  far 
in  our  confession  of  ignorance  as  a  contemporary 
recently  did,  and  declare  that  "  we  know  next  to 
nothing  of  eels  beyond  the  periods  of  their  migra- 
tion."    If  we  knew  nothing  more  than  that,  we 
should  indeed  know  but  little,  as  in  many  places 
eels  never  migrate  at  all,  but  grow  fat  and  flourish 
from  year  to  year  in  the  pond  or  lake  where  they 
were  born,  without  ever  leaving  it  to  seek  the 
brackish  water  of  estuaries  which  some  authorities 
deem  necessary  to  their  existence. 

2.  The  same  writer  who  made  the  above  re- 
mark asserts  that  the  distinction  between  "  shovel- 
nosed  "  and  "  pointed-nosed  "  eels  is  purely  "  fanci- 
ful," and  accounts  for  the  difference  by  saying  that 
"most  fish  develop  a  shovel-nose  when  they  are 
working  up-stream."     If  this  were  the  case,  an  eel 
would  have  a  shovel-nose  in  the  spring  and  a  sharp 
nose  in  the  autumn  !    Such  a  capability  of  altering 
his  features  would  be  certainly  open  to  envy ;  but, 
unfortunately  for  this  theory,  the  structure  of  the 


54  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

two  fish  is  materially  different,  and  the  single  fact 
that  the  shovel  or  broad -nosed  eel  has  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  vertebrae,  while  his  sharp-nosed  relative 
only  possesses  one  hundred  and  thirteen,  is  suffi- 
cient to  prove  the  fallacy  of  the  idea  that  the  two 
fish  are  identical. 

3.  Of   fresh-water   eels,    as   apart   from   their 
mighty  cousin  the  conger,  there  are  three  distinct 
kinds — the   sharp-nosed   eel,  the   broad-nosed   or 
frog-mouthed  eel,  and  the  snig.     Of  these  three, 
the  sharp-nosed  eel  is  both  the  largest  fish  and  the 
best  eating,  though  some  prefer  the  snig  eel  as 
having  a  superior  flavor.     The  snig,  however,  in 
spite  of  its  excellence,  has  not  the  same  value  as 
the  sharp-nosed  eel  •  for  it  seldom,  if  ever,  attains 
more  than  half  a  pound  in  weight.     The  sharp- 
nosed  eel,  on  the  contrary,  attains  an  enormous 
size.     One  on  record  that  was  taken  weighed  thir- 
ty-four pounds,  measured  six  feet  in  length,  and 
had  a  girth  of  twenty-five  inches.     Another  eel 
weighed  forty  pounds  and  measured  five  feet  nine 
inches.     But  these  instances,  though  not  to  be  re- 
garded as  apocryphal,  are  still  very  exceptional ; 
and  a  very  fair  average  weight  for  sharp-nosed  eels 
is  six  pounds.    Eels  of  even  ten  pounds  weight  are 
not  common,  and  Mr.  Frank  Buckland  speaks  of  one 
of  that  size  as  being  the  largest  he  had  ever  seen." 

4.  From  time  immemorial   eels   have  always 
been  much  esteemed  by  epicures,  more  perhaps  in 
ancient  days  than  they  are  now.     By  the  Egyp- 


ABOUT  EELS.  55 

tians  eels  were  regarded  with  great  abhorrence,  as 
the  embodiment  of  an  evil  demon ;  but  other  na- 
tions did  not  share  the  prejudice,  for  the  Boeotians, 
who  were  celebrated  for  their  eels,  used  them  as 
sacred  offerings.  Misson,  in  his  "  Travels,"  tells  of 
a  vow  made  by  the  inhabitants  of  Terracina,  a  sea- 
port of  Italy,  when  besieged  by  the  Turks.  They 
vowed  to  offer  twenty  thousand  eels  a  year  to  St. 
Benedict  if  he  would  deliver  them  from  their  peril. 
Whether  a  fond  memory  of  stewed  eels  touched 
the  saint  we  do  not  know,  but  the  siege  was  raised, 
and  the  Benedictine  monks  got  their  eels  every 
year  from  the  virtuous  and  grateful  inhabitants. 

5.  The  Venerable  Bede  mentions  the  eel-fish- 
eries of  Britain  in  his  u  History  of  the  Anglo-Saxon 
Church,"  and  an  instance  is  quoted  of  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  famous  Archbishop  Thomas  a  Becket 
that,  when  he  traveled  in  France,  "  he  expended 
the  large  sum  of  a  hundred  shillings  in  a  dish  of 
eels."  Any  one  who  could  now  sit  down  to  cope 
with  a  dish  of  eels  of  the  value  of  five  pounds 
would  indeed  have  gastronomic  capabilities  likely 
to  make  an  alderman  die  of  envy.  But,  in  the  eat- 
ing of  eels,  excellent  as  they  are,  it  is  well  to  re- 
member the  advice  given  in  the  ancient  medical 
book: 

"  Who  knows  not  physic  should  be  nice  and  choice 
In  eating  eels,  .because  they  hurt  the  voice. 
Both  eels  and  cheese,  without  good  store  of  wine 
Well  drunk  with  them,  offend  at  any  time." 


56  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

6.  For  a  long  time  the  most  extraordinary  the- 
ories were  accepted  regarding  the  birth  of  young 
eels.     Aristotle   believed  they  sprang   from  the 
mud,  wherein  he  was  not  far  wrong,  as  eels  de- 
posit their  spawn  in  mud  and  sand ;  Pliny  main- 
tained that  young  eels  developed  from  fragments 
separated  from   the  parents'  bodies  by  rubbing 
against   rocks ;    others   supposed   that   they  pro- 
ceeded from  the  carcasses  of  animals ;  Helmont 
declared  that  they  came  from  May-dew,  and  gave 
the  following  receipt  for  obtaining  them:    "Cut 
up  two  turfs  covered  with  May-dew,  and  lay  one 
upon  the  other,  the  grassy  side  inward,  and  then 
expose  them  to  the  heat  of  the  sun;  in  a  few 
hours   there  will   spring   from   them   an   infinite 
quantity  of  eels.'7     Of  that  ancient  superstition  of 
one's  childhood  that  horse-hairs  cut  up  and  depos- 
ited in  water  would  turn  into  eels  it  is  hardly  ne- 
cessary to  speak,  for  who  can  not  remember  those 
unpleasant  little  bottles,  erst  used  for  medicine, 
which  garnished  one's  nursery,  in  which  the  prop- 
agation of  eels  from  horse-hair  was  carried  on  with 
the  profound  faith  of  childhood  ? 

7.  Eels  generally  shed  their  spawn  in  April, 
and,  when  not   hindered,  they  almost  invariably 
choose  an  estuary,  where  they  scatter  the  spawn 
loosely  in  the  sand  or  soil.     But  that  an  annual 
visit  to  the  sea  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  their 
existence  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  many  eels  that 
inhabit  inland  ponds  and  lakes  never  visit  the  sea 


ABOUT  EELS.  57 

at  all.  A  gentleman  digging  in  the  month  of  Oc- 
tober in  the  gravel-banks  of  the  river  Stour  found 
the  place  "alive  with  young  eels,  some  of  them 
scarcely  hatched,  at  the  depth  of  from  five  to  fif- 
teen inches  " ;  and  at  one  of  the  meetings  of  the 
British  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science 
a  member  stated  that  he  had  seen  a  considerable 
number  of  young  eels  rise  up  through  a  small 
opening  in  the  sand  at  the  bottom  of  a  small 
stream,  the  Ravensbourne.  The  greater  number 
of  eels,  however,  do  visit  the  sea,  and  the  "  passing 
up  "  a  river  of  the  young  eels  is  one  of  the  most 
curious  sights  of  natural  history. 

8.  This  passage  of  young  eels  is  called  eelfare 
on  the  banks  of  the  Thames;  and  it  has  been 
thought  by  some  that  the  term  elver,  which  on  the 
banks  of  the  Severn  is  used  indiscriminately  for  all 
young  eels,  is  a  corruption  of  the  word  eelfare.  In 
the  Thames  this  eelfare  takes  place  in  the  spring, 
in  other  rivers  in  the  summer ;  and  some  idea  of 
the  numbers  of  these  young  eels,  each  about  three 
inches  long,  may  be  gathered  from  the  record  of 
Dr.  William  Roots,  who  lived  at  Kingston  in  1832. 
He  calculated  that  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  hun- 
dred passed  a  given  point  in  the  space  of  one  min- 
ute of  time.  These  baby-eels  travel  only  by  day 
and  rest  by  night.  In  large  and  deep  rivers,  where 
they  probably  find  the  current  strong,  they  form 
themselves  into  a  closely  compacted  company,  "  a 
narrow  but  long-extended  column,"  as  it  has  been 


58  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

described;  but  in  less  formidable  streams  they 
abandon  this  arrangement  and  travel,  each  one 
more  or  less  at  his  own  sweet  will,  near  the  bank. 

9.  The  perseverance  of  these  little  creatures  in 
overcoming  the  obstructions  they  may  encounter  is 
quite  extraordinary.     The  large  flood-gates,  some- 
times twenty  feet  high,  that  are  to  be  met  with 
on  the  Thames,  would  be  sufficient,  one  Would  im- 
agine, to  bar  the  progress  of  a  fish  the   size   of 
a  darning-needle.     But  young  eels  have  a  whole- 
some idea  that  nothing  can  stop  them,  consequently 
nothing  does.     As  one  writer  says,  speaking  of  the 
way  in  which  they  ascend  flood-gates  and  such  like 
barriers :  "  Those  which  die  stick  to  the  posts ; 
others,  which  get  a  little  higher,  meet  with  the 
same  fate,  until  at  last  a  sufficient  layer  of  them  is 
formed  to  enable  the  rest  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  passage."     The  mortality  resulting 
from  such  "  forlorn  hopes "  greatly  helps  to  ac- 
count for  the  difference  of  number  between  the 
upward  migration  of  young  eels  and  the  return  of 
comparatively  few  down-stream  in  the  autumn. 

10.  One  of  the  greatest  peculiarities  possessed 
by  eels  is  that  they  have  a  second  heart  situated 
in  the  extremity  of  their  tails ;  of  course,  in  the 
transparent  elvers  the  action  of  this  heart  can  be 
more  easily  noted  than  in  the  ordinary  eels.     In 
all,  however,  its  action  is  plainly  manifest,  espe- 
cially if  the  fish  has  been  out  of  water  any  time 
or  exhausted,  a  fact  known  to  the  street  venders 


ABOUT  EELS.  59 

of  live  eels,  who  therefore  are  careful  to  cover 
their  eels  with  sand  to  hide  the  caudal  pulsations. 
Dr.  Marshall  Hall,  who  in  1831  discovered  this 
secondary  heart  of  the  eel,  says  of  it  that  "the 
action  of  this  caudal  heart  is  entirely  independent 
of  the  pulnionic  heart ;  while  the  latter  beats  sixty 
the  former  beats  one  hundred  and  sixty  times  in  a 
minute.  It  continues  a  very  long  time  after  the 
influence  of  the  pulmonic  heart  is  entirely  re- 
moved." It  is  probably  owing  to  this  caudal 
heart  that  the  eel's  tail  is  so  highly  sensitive  and 
so  strong.  Eels  can  almost  use  their  tails  like 
hands ;  as,  for  instance,  if  confined  to  a  tank  or 
bucket,  they  will  grasp  the  edge  with  this  hand- 
like  tail,  and  by  its  help  lift  themselves  bodily 
over.  Eels  are  very  clean  feeders  ;  if  possible, 
they  like  their  food  alive,  and  in  all  cases  it  is 
most  essential  that  it  should  be  fresh.  Even  the 
slightest  taint  is  too  much  for  their  keen  sense  of 
smell  and  taste.  They  are  sometimes  seen  crop- 
ping the  leaves  of  water-cresses,  and  other  aquatic 
plants,  as  they  float  about  in  the  water ;  but  as  a 
rule  their  food  is  altogether  animal. 

11.  There  are  a  good  many  ways  of  catching 
eels ;  the  commonest,  of  course,  being  by  the  eel- 
bucks  which  are  so  often  to  be  met  with  on  the 
Thames.  Eel-bucks  that  are  intended  to  catch  the 
sharp-nosed  or  frog-mouthed  eels  are  set  against 
the  stream,  and  are  set  at  night,  as  those  two  de- 
scriptions of  eels  feed  and  run  only  at  night.  The 


60  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

snig  eel,  which  is  chiefly  found  in  Hampshire,  feeds 
by  day ;  and  fishermen  have  found  by  experience 
that  snigs  are  only  taken  in  the  eel-bucks  if  they 
are  set  with  the  stream,  instead  of  against  it.  In 
Norfolk,  where  immense  quantities  of  eels  are 
caught  every  year,  the  capture  is  mostly  effected 
by  eel-sets,  which  are  nets  set  across  the  stream, 
and  in  which  the  sharp-nosed  eel  is  the  one  almost 
invariably  taken.  Besides  these  eel-sets,  however, 
the  Norfolk  Broadmen  also  fish  for  eels  with 
"  babs,"  which  can  hardly  be  called  sport  in  any 
sense  of  the  term.  The  "  bab,"  or  "  clod,"  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  is  a  number  of  lob- worms  thread- 
ed on  pieces  of  worsted,  and  all  tied  up  in  a  bunch 
not  unlike  a  small  mop.  The  bab  is  then  tied  on  to 
the  end  of  a  cord  attached  to  a  stout  pole.  The  eel's 
teeth  get  entangled  in  the  worsted  as  soon  as  he 
attempts  to  take  the  bab,  and  he  can  then  be  lifted 
out  of  the  water  either  into  the  boat,  if  the  angler 
be  in  one,  or  else  allowed  to  drop  off  the  line  into 
a  pail,  which  the  angler  should  place  on  the  bank 
at  a  convenient  distance  from  his  standing-place. 
Norfolk  "  babbers "  frequently  catch  four  stone 
weight  of  eels  to  a  boat  per  night,  especially  in  the 
spawning-ground  s. 

Night-lines  are  also  much  used  for  catching 
eels.  These  are  long  lines,  weighted  heavily  at 
each  end  and  in  the  middle,  and  garnished  with 
baited  hooks  one  yard  apart.  "  Sniggling,"  immor- 
talized by  Mr.  Burnand  in  his  "  Happy  Thoughts," 


ABOUT  EELS.  61 

is  one  of  the  most  favorite  ways  of  catching  eels ; 
and  "  stichering,"  a  Hampshire  method,  is  perhaps 
one  of  the  most  amusing,  though  the  sticherer 
probably  catches  fewer  eels  than  any  other  eel- 
hunter.  The  only  apparatus  used  is  an  old  sickle, 
worn  short  and  chipped  so  as  to  present  some- 
thing of  a  saw-like  edge ;  this  is  tied  firmly  on  to 
a  light  pole  about  twelve  feet  long.  Armed  with 
these  the  sticherers  betake  themselves  to  the  water- 
meadows.  In4he  wide,  deep  drains  used  for  irri- 
gation eels  abound,  and  the  object  of  the  sticherer 
is  to  thrust  the  sickle  under  the  eel's  body,  and, 
with  a  sudden  hoist,  to  land  him  on  the  bank, 
from  which  he  is  transferred  to  the  bag.  That 
there  is  every  chance,  when  on  a  stichering  party, 
of  having  your  eye  poked  out,  or  your  ear  sawn 
off,  of  course  only  adds  the  necessary  amount  of 
danger  and  pleasurable  excitement,  without  which 
all  sport  is  tame. 

12.  Of  all  forms  of  eel-capture,  there  is  none 
to  compare  to  spearing,  of  which  there  are  two 
methods.  The  Norfolkmen  mostly  use  "  picks  " 
formed  of  four  broad  blades,  spread  out  like  a  fan, 
between  which  the  eels  get  w^edged.  These  are 
mounted  on  long,  slender  poles,  to  enable  them  to 
be  thrust  into  the  mud,  where  the  "  picker "  no- 
tices the  tell-tale  bubbles  rise  which  denote  the 
presence  of  "  Anguilla."  Eel-spearing  of  this  kind 
takes  place  chiefly  in  winter,  but  there  is  another 
form  of  this  sport  called  "  sun-spearing,"  which  is 


62  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

much  sought  after  in  the  Irish  loughs  during  the 
months  of  June  and  July.  In  the  early  sunny 
mornings  at  that  time  of  the  year,  when  the  water 
seems  to  be  principally  composed  of  sunbeams, 
with  a  little  hydrogen  and  oxygen  added,  the  sun- 
spearer  sallies  forth  in  any  little  boat  he  can  lay 
his  hands  on.  Standing  up  in  the  bows,  and,  if 
alone,  using  his  spear  to  propel  the  boat  gently 
along,  he  steals  over  the  crystal  waters  of  the  lough. 
Presently  he  sees  the  gleam  of  the  "  silver  "  eel  as 
he  lies  quietly  at  length  on  the  sandy  bottom.  The 
spearer  takes  aim ;  there  is  a  sudden  "  splitting  of 
the  atmosphere,"  as  Mark  Twain  would  say,  a 
splash,  and  either  Anguilla  comes  up  writhing  on 
the  twelve  close-set  teeth  of  the  sun-spear,  or  the 
spearer  has  taken  a  header  into  ten  feet  of  water. 
If  the  latter  is  a  tyro  at  the  apparently  simple  art 
of  sun-spearing,  it  may  safely  be  predicted  that,  if 
he  makes  acquaintance  with  the  eel  he  is  after,  the 
meeting  will  be  more  likely  to  take  place  under 

water  than  above  it.  Saturday  Review. 


CHAPTER   X. 
FRANK    BUCKLAND   AT   HOME. 

1.  FRANK  BUCKLAND  lived  in  London.  He 
was  the  son  of  Dr.  William  I.  Buckland,  the  great 
geologist  of  Edinburgh.  He  was  a  naturalist,  and 


FRANK  BUCKLAND  AT  HOME.  63 

took  great  interest  in  everything  that  had  life. 
He  studied  animals,  and  soon  every  living  creature 
in  his  care  came  to  regard  him  as  a  friend.  His 
house  was  a  perfect  curiosity-shop ;  the  rooms 
filled  with  living  animals,  loose  or  in  cages,  and 
with  dead  ones  stuffed,  and  laid  up  on  shelves. 

2.  Mr.  Buckland,  for  a  long  time,  was  editor 
of  the  natural- history  department  of  "  Land  and 
Water,"  and  his  contributions  of  the  results  of 
personal  observation  are  always  valuable  and  in- 
teresting.    A  few  years  before  his  death,  one  of 
his  fellow-editors  called  at  his  home,  and  gives  this 
very  graphic  sketch  of  what  he  saw  and  heard : 

3.  As  we  entered  the  hall,  we  saw,  through  an 
open  door,  a  full-grown  jaguar  loose  in  the  room, 
which  caused  us  to  come  to  an  abrupt  halt.     "  It's 
a  jolly  little  brute  and  won't  hurt,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Buckland,  as  we  were  about  to  retreat  from  his 
threshold.     The  monkeys  had  seized  the  jaguar's 
tail,  and,  lifting  it  with  its  hind-legs  bodily  to  the 
altitude  of  their  cage,  were  rapidly  denuding  it  of 
fur.     No  animal,  with  any  feeling  of  self-respect, 
could  submit  silently  to  such  humiliation,  and  the 
jaguar  was  making  the  place  hideous  with  his 
yells.     Hearing  the  cries  of  her  pet,  Mrs.  Buck- 
land  came  to  the  rescue ;  and  it  was  amusing  to 
see  this  child  of  the  forest,  with  gleaming  eyes 
and  frantic  yelps,  cast  itself  at  her  feet  and  nestle 
meekly  in  the  folds  of  her  dress. 

4.  She  had  nursed  it  through  a  very  trying 


64  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

babyhood,  when  Mr.  Bartlett  had  sent  it  from  the 
Zoo,  apparently  dying  and  paralyzed  in  the  fore- 


Woolly  Monkey  and  Child. 

legs,  with  a  promise  of  fifteen  pounds  reward  for  a 
cure.  That  sum  has  long  since  been  swallowed  up  in 
damages  for  clothes  destroyed  and  boots  devoured, 
as  the  invalid's  health  and  appetite  returned.  Hard 
by  a  laughing  jackass  was  sportively  chasing  live 
mice  up  and  down  a  glass  jar,  as  an  appetizer  be- 


FRANK  BUCKLAND  AT  HOME.  65 

fore  eating  them ;  and  below,  solemnly  weighing 
the  doctrine  of  chances,  a  battalion  of  cats  waited 
patiently  what  might  befall. 

5.  At  a  front  window  an  intelligent  parrot  kept 
calling  cabs  from  the  moment  we  entered,  and  was 
equally  ready  to  hail  an  omnibus  if  we  preferred 
it.     A  peaceably  disposed  piebald  rat  was  enjoy- 
ing gymnastic  exercises  on  a  pole,  until  seized  by 
his  master  and  told  to  "  sing  up,  old  boy."     Held 
suddenly  to  our  ear,  melodious  notes  were  heard 
issuing  from  the  diaphragm,  which  Mr.  Buckland 
considers  as  good  as  the  carol  of  a  lark,  whether 
it  arises  from  a  parasite  in  the  liver  or  not. 

6.  All  around  the  walls  were  covered  with  the 
heads  of  curious  hybrids  and  horns  of  extinct  ani- 
mals;  and,  indeed,  there  was  everything  in  this 
wonderful  museum  to  fascinate  the  mind,  from  a 
shoe,  left  as  a  keepsake  by  Brice  the  giant,  to  a 
"  lady's  slipper,"  floating  about  in  a  wineglass  of 
water.     The  latter  was  a  beautiful  little  object, 
like  a  fairy  glass  slipper,  about  an  inch  long,  with- 
out heels,  and  exquisitely  fringed  and  finished  off. 
It  belongs  to  the  jelly-fish  tribe,  and  was  alive  and 
well  when  we  saw  it. 

7.  The  "  happy  family "  life,  of  which  Mrs. 
Buckland  is  the  center,  is  carried  on  in  an  ordinary 
London  house.     The  dining-room  is  the  one  room 
preserved,  but  with  difficulty,  for  the  sole  use  of 
man.     It  is  held,  so  to  speak,  at  the  sword's  point 
against  the  incursions  of  animals  from  the  neigh- 


66  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

boring  jungle.  Sometimes  the  rule  is  relaxed  in 
cases  of  sickness,  or  on  the  arrival  of  a  welcome 
little  stranger  like  the  jaguar.  It  is  to  this  room 
that  all  good  animals  expect  to  go — in  a  stuffed 
form — when  they  die.  It  is  regarded  as  a  poet's 
corner  for  the  great ;  while  the  bodies  of  the  less 
distinguished  are  consigned  to  honorable  burial  in 
the  back  green.  Mr.  Buckland  was  informed  lately 
that  there  was  no  room  to  bury  so  much  as  a  bird 
there  now. 

8.  Some  excellent  pictures  adorn  the  walls  of 
this  room ;  one  of  Master  Frank,  himself,  "  aged 
three,  born  at  Christchurch,  Oxford,  December  17., 
1826."     He  is  characteristically   portrayed   hug- 
ging a  rabbit  in  his  pinafore.     Below  all  this  we 
come  upon  the  practical  workings  of  the  scientific 
mind.     Next  to  the  kitchen  and  accessible  to  the 
area  is  the  casting-room,  to  which  everything  ex- 
traordinary, whether  from  the  depths  of  the  sea 
or  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  sooner  or  later  gravi- 
tates.    It  is  here  that  a  prodigious  amount  of  work 
is  done,  and  goes  forth  in  a  finished  state  to  adorn 
the  South  Kensington  and   other  great  museums 
for  the  advancement  of  science  and  education  of 
the  people.     Round  the  walls  are  ranged  bottles, 
casks,  and  jars,  containing  specimens  in  every  stage 
of  what  the  naturalist  might  call  preservation  and 
the  ignorant  decay. 

9.  Enjoying  the  rare  art  of  imparting  his  knowl- 
edge to  others,  Mr.  Buckland  delights  in  showing 


FRANK  BUCKLAND  AT  HOME.  67 

his  treasures.  Regardless  of  fearful  odors,  he  will 
plunge  up  to  his  elbows  into  a  deep,  dark  tank, 
draw  forth  a  slimy,  dripping  reptile,  and  ask, 
cheerfully,  "  Is  he  not  a  beauty  ? "  It  requires  a 
strong  stomach  and  no  small  diplomacy  to  know 
how  to  act,  for  he  is  ready  on  a  word  of  encour- 
agement to  make  another  fatal  plunge  and  bring 
up  the  other  seven.  But  another  joy  awaits  you 
—if  you  can  bear  it — in  a  jar,  when  he  carefully 
hauls  out  a  ribbon-fish,  and  tells  you  it  is  the  next 
of  kin  to  the  great  sea-serpent. 

10.  At   that   moment   you  heartily  wish  the 
great  sea-serpent  would  bury  its  own  relations; 
but  Frank  does  not,  and  any  one  who  would  bring 
him  the  head  of  the  family  would  be  his  friend 
for  life.     On  the  whole,  Mr.  Buckland  prefers  live 
snakes  about  him,  but  he  has  not  yet  succeeded  in 
getting  his  household  to  agree  with  him.     A  live 
snake  is  considerably  worse  than  a  pickled  snake, 
seeing  that  the  latter,  they  find,  is  not  so  likely  to 
be  found  under  their  pillows. 

11.  Perhaps  the  worst  moments  for  the  family 
are  those  when  the  parcels-delivery  van  drives  up 
to  the  door.     On  these  occasions  there  is  a  general 
closing  of  windows  observable  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  the  only  light-hearted  creature  within 
the  zoological  circle  of  Frank  Buckland's  home 
just  then  is  the  persevering  parrot,  who  takes  the 
credit  of  the  van's  arrival  to  himself.     The  natu- 
ralist steals  out  to  survey  the  state  of  things,  and, 


68          FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

if  likely  to  be  very  odorous,  feels  uneasy  ;  while  the 
husband,  deep  and  treacherous,  drops  a  propitia- 
tory sovereign  into  his  wife's  hand,  and  recom- 
mends her  to  try  a  little  shopping  in  some  distant 
region.  Once  it  was  a  gorilla  in  a  cask ;  and  when 
his  unfortunate  wife  returned  to  her  home,  she 
found  Frank  in  high  spirits  and  the  gorilla  in  even 
higher. 

12.  Mr.  Buckland's  chief  domestic  grievance  is 
the  duster,  which  he  regards  as  a  mischievous  in- 
vention of  women.  Household  operations  have 
consequently  to  be  conducted  by  stealth,  and  usu- 
ally in  his  absence  on  official  rounds  as  Govern- 
ment Inspector  of  Fisheries.  Not  long  ago  he 
returned  home  to  find  the  giant's  autograph  white- 
washed off  the  dining-room  ceiling,  and  was  in  de- 
spair ;  but  discovering  the  row  of  postage-stamps 
a  foot  or  two  above  the  door  marking  the  giant's 
height,  he  was  in  a  measure  consoled,  and  fell  back 
for  comfort  on  the  shoe  still  safe  in  the  museum. 
Mr.  Buckland  makes  the  scullery  his  chief  work- 
shop, and  shares  the  kitchen,  when  she  will  let 
him,  with  the  cook. 


TOM.  69 

CHAPTER    XI. 

TOM. 

1.  YES,  Tom's  the  best  fellow  that  ever  you  knew. 

Just  listen  to  this  : 
When  the  old  mill  took  fire,  and  the  flooring 

fell  through, 

And  I  with  it,  helpless  there,  full  in  my  view 
What  do  you  think  my  eyes  saw  through  the  fire 
That  crept  along,  crept  along,  nigher  and  nigher, 
But  Robin,  my  baby-boy,  laughing  to  see 
The  shining  ?     He  must  have  come  there  after 

me, 

Toddled  alone  from  the  cottage  without 
Any  one's  missing  him. 

2.  Then,  what  a  shout ! — 
Oh,  how  I  shouted,  u  For  Heaven's  sake,  men, 
Save  little  Robin  ! "     Again  and  again 

They  tried,  but  the  fire  held  them  back  like  a 

wall. 

I  could  hear  them  go  at  it,  and  at  it,  and  call, 
"  Never  mind,  baby,  sit  still  like  a  man  ! 
We're  coming  to  get  you  as  fast  as  we  can." 
They  could  not  see  him,  but  I  could.     He  sat 
Still  on  a  beam,  his  little  straw  hat 
Carefully  placed  by  his  side ;  and  his  eyes 
Stared  at  the  flame  with  a  baby's  surprise, 
Calm  and  unconscious,  as  nearer  it  crept. 


70  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

The  roar  of  the  fire  up  above  must  have  kept 
The  sound  of  his  mother's  voice  shrieking  his 

name 
From  reaching  the  child.     But  I  heard  it.     It 

came 
Again  and  again. 

3.  O  God,  what  a  cry  ! 

The  axes  went  faster ;  I  saw  the  sparks  fly 
Where  the  men  worked  like  tigers,  nor  minded 

the  heat 
That  scorched  them ;  when,  suddenly,  there  at 

their  feet 
The  great  beams  leaned  in — they  saw  him — 

then  crash, 

Down  came  the  wall !     The  men  made  a  dash, 
Jumped  to  get  out  of  the  way — and  I  thought, 
"  All's  up  with  poor  little  Robin  ! "  and  brought 
Slowly  the  arm  that  was  least  hurt  to  hide 
The  sight  of  the  child  there ;  when  swift,  at 

my  side, 
Some  one  rushed  by,  and  went  right  through 

the  flame, 
Straight  as  a  dart — caught  the  child,  and  then 

came 

Back  with  him,  choking  and  crying,  but — saved ! 
Saved  safe  and  sound  ! 

4.  Oh,  how  the  men  raved, 
Shouted  and  cried  and  hurrahed  !    Then  they  all 


THE  DOG    WHO  ATTENDED  FIEES.  71 

Eushed  at  the  work  again,  lest  the  back  wall, 
Where  I  was  lying  away  from  the  fire, 
Should  fall  in  and  bury  me. 

5.  Oh  !  you'd  admire 

To  see  Eobin  now ;  he's  as  bright  as  a  dime, 
Deep  in  some  mischief,  too,  most  of  the  time. 
Tom,  it  was,  saved  him.     Now  isn't  it  true, 
Tom's  the  best  fellow  that  ever  you  knew  ? 
There's  Eobin  now !     See,  he's  strong  as  a  log ! 
And  there  comes  Tom,  too — 

Yes,  Tom  was  our  dog. 

Constance  Fenimore  Woolson. 


CHAPTER    XII. 
THE    DOG    WHO    ATTENDED    FIRES. 

1.  A  FEW  years  ago,  the  public  were  amused 
with  an  account  given  in  the  newspapers  of  a  dog 
which  possessed  the  strange  fancy  of  attending  all 
the  fires  that  occurred  in  London.  A  gentleman 
residing  a  few  miles  out  of  town  was  called  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  by  the  intelligence  that 
the  premises  adjoining  his  house  of  business  were 
on  fire.  "  The  removal  of  my  books  and  papers," 
said  he,  "  of  course  claimed  my  attention,  yet,  not- 
withstanding this,  and  the  bustle  which  prevailed, 
my  eye  every  now  and  then  rested  on  a  dog  which, 

4 


72  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

during  the  hottest  progress  of  the  fire,  I  could  not 
help  noticing  running  about,  and  apparently  tak- 
ing a  deep  interest  in  what  was  going  on,  contriv- 
ing to  keep  himself  out  of  everybody's  way,  and 
yet  ever  present  in  the  thickest  of  the  stir. 

2.  "  When  the  fire  was  got  under,  and  I  had 
leisure  to  look  about  me,  I  again  observed  the  dog, 
which,  with  the  firemen,  appeared  to  be  resting 
from  the  fatigues  of  the  day.     '  Is  this  your  dog  ? ' 
I  said  to  a  fireman.    'No,  sir,'  answered  he,  'he  does 
not  belong  to  any  one  in  particular ;  we  call  him 
the  fireman's  dog.     He  calls  none  of  us  master, 
though  we  are  all  willing  enough  to  give  him  a 
night's  lodging  and  a  pennyworth  of  meat.     But 
he  won't  stay  long  with  any  of  us ;  his  delight  is 
to  be  at  all  the  fires  in  London ;  and  far  and  near 
we  find  him  on  the  road  as  we  are  going  along, 
and  sometimes,  if  it  is  out  of  town,  we  give  him  a 
lift.    I  don't  think  there  has  been  a  fire  for  two  or 
three  years  past  which  he  has  not  been  at.' ' 

3.  For  many  years  "Tyke"  continued  to  live 
with  the  firemen  and  attend  fires.     He  would  stay 
in  one  place  but  a  day  or  two.     Day  or  night,  it  was 
all  the  same  to  him ;  if  a  fire  broke  out,  there  he 
was  in  the  midst  of   the  firemen ;   and,  though 
pressed  upon  by  crowds,  yet  he  always  escaped 
accidents,  only  now  and  then  getting  a  ducking 
from  the  engines,  which  he  rather  liked.    He  lived 
to  a  good  old  age,  and  kept  up  his  interest  in  fires 
to  the  very  last. 


CRAWLERS  OF  GRASS  AND    WOODLAND.         73 

CHAPTER     XIII. 
CRAWLING  OCCUPANTS  OF  GRASS  AND  WOODLAND. 

1.  FROM  the  birds  that  fly  to  the  snakes  that 
crawl  seems  a  long  distance  down  the  scale  of  be- 
ing ;  but  the  way  is  a  natural  one,  for  birds  and 
reptiles    show    at    least    a    distant    relationship. 
Though  obscure  and  quiet,  snakes  have  created 
a  great  stir  in  the  world.     Nearly  all  people  have 
a  dread  of  them ;  and  the  first  impulse  awakened 
by  the  sight  of  one  of  these  animals  is  to  fly  from 
or  kill  it.     If  the  little  garter-snake,  that  can  not 
do  as  much  harm  as  a  mosquito,  has  half  the  wit 
it  is  supposed  to  have,  it  must  greatly  enjoy  the 
commotion  it  creates  when  creatures  a  hundred 
times  as  large  as  itself  run  from  it  as  from  the 
evil-one. 

2.  Snakes  have  not  always  been  simply  hated 
or  feared;    in  the  earliest  times  they  were  wor- 
shiped, and  the  serpent  was  an  emblem  of  wisdom. 
We  may  wonder  why  they  should  have  been  both 
despised  and  honored ;  but  the  reason  is,  perhaps, 
that  men  knew  so  little  about  them.     That  some 
snakes  inflict  a  mortal  wound  they  knew ;  but  the 
true  nature  and  the  habits  of  these  animals  they 
did  not  know.     They  feared  what  was  unknown, 
and  they  worshiped  what  they  feared,  hoping  to 
please  it,  and  thus  turn  away  the  harm  which  they 
were  afraid  it  might  do. 


74  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

3.  But  the  ancients,  even,  saw  something  beau- 
tiful in  the  serpent,  for  they  adorned  their  works 
of  art  with  its  winding,  graceful  folds.     And  we 
of  to-day,  who  know  so  much  more   about  this 
generally  detested  animal,   should  be  inclined  to 
admire  its  beauty,  and  to  cast  away  needless  fear. 
Snakes  have  their  rights,  and  we  shall  not  trample 
on  these  rights  if  we  do  not  trample  on  the  snakes. 
The  most  of  them  are  as  harmless  as  doves,  while 
those  that  are  deadly  will  do  us  no  injury  if  we 
will  let  them  alone. 

4.  The  body  of  the  snake  is  a  curious  structure, 
and  wonderfully  adapted  to  its  life  and  habits. 
When  we  see  with  what  soft  and  noiseless  motion 
it  creeps  on  the  ground,  gliding  through  narrow 
places,  and   tangled   thickets,  or  how  readily  it 
swims  in  the  water,  we  may  well  wonder.     But 
if  we  strip  off  its  skin  and  flesh,  the  secret  of  these 
easy  motions  is  laid  open.     Here  is  a  backbone 
composed  of  a  great  many  parts,  or  vertebrae,  as 
they  are  called.     These  parts  are  joined  by  a  ball 
working  in  a  socket,  so  that  the  snake  can  easily 
turn  in  every  direction ;  and  to  each  of  the  parts 
is  connected  a  pair  of  ribs. 

5.  The  snake  uses  its  ribs  for  legs,  and  the 
scales  on  the  under  side  of  its  body  for  feet.     It 
can  work  the  ribs  forward  and  backward  like  legs, 
and  with  each  motion  of  these  bones  the  scales 
move  and  catch  on  the  ground,  pulling  or  pushing 
the  whole  body.      The  ability  of    the  snake  to 


CRAWLERS  OF  GRASS  AND    WOODLAND.        75 

swallow  bodies  many  times  larger  than  itself  is 
understood,  if  we  examine  its  head.  The  jaws  are 
loosely  joined  by  elastic  gristle,  so  that  they  can 
spread  immensely ;  and  a  small  mouth,  that  seems 
only  large  enough  to  take  in  a  cricket,  can  stretch 
wide  enough  to  swallow  a  toad.  Between  these 
jaws  plays  the  tongue,  a  delicate,  lively  little 
member,  forked,  and  darting  far  out  beyond  the 
lips.  It  is  the  only  member  by  which  the  animal 
touches  or  feels,  and  it  is  entirely  harmless,  even 
in  poisonous  snakes. 

6.  The  teeth  of  the  snake,  which  incline  back- 
ward, are  not  used  for  chewing,  but  for  holding  and 
swallowing  its  prey.     The  ears  are  covered  with 
scales,  and  do  not  appear.    This  may  be  the  reason 
why  the  adder  is  supposed  to  be  deaf.     The  eyes 
have  no  eyelids,  but  are  shielded  from  harm  by  the 
skin  that  covers  them,  which  is  transparent. 

7.  From  time  to  time  during  the  summer  the 
snake  gets  a  new  dress.     He  grows  stupid,  eats  no 
food,  and  the  skin  loosens  about  his  mouth.    Then 
he  crawls  through  a  close  passage,  in  moss  or  brush, 
and  the  skin  slips  off  like  a  stocking;  then  in  his 
new  skin  he  feels  fresh  and  hungry,  and  crawls 
away  to  catch  a  toad.     The  blood  of  the  snake 
circulates  slowly,  and  is  cold.     Snakes  like  the  hot 
sun,  but  during  the  winter  they  coil  up  in  holes  in 
the  ground,  or  hollow  trees,  and  sleep  as  if  half 
dead.     Their  young  are  produced  from  eggs,  and 
need  little  care.     The  eggs  are  left  to  be  hatched 


76  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

by  the  sun,  or  by  the  heat  of  decaying  vegetation. 
In  some  species  the  eggs  are  hatched  while  in  the 
body  of  their  mother. 

8.  Most  of  the  snakes  we  meet  are  harmless, 
and  we  have  no  need  to  molest  or  kill  them.     We 


The  Common  Singed  Snake. 

may  easily  learn  to  distinguish  them,  and  thus 
avoid  cruelty  to  innocent  life.  The  spotted  adder 
is  commonly  called  the  milk,  house,  or  chicken 
snake.  It  has  a  slender  body,  from  two  to  four 
feet  long,  and  its  ashy  skin  is  covered  above  with 
large,  oval,  chestnut-colored  spots.  Underneath 
are  dark  spots  nearly  square.  The  head  is  small, 
and  a  reddish  semicircular  band  runs  from  eye  to 
eye. 


CRAWLERS  OF  GRASS  AND    WOODLAND.        ^ 

9.  The  common  striped  snake  is  brown  or  olive- 
green,  with  three  greenish-yellow  stripes,  showing 
spots  of  black,  running  the  whole  length  of  the 
body — one  stripe  on  the  back,  and  one  on  each  of 
the  sides.     Below  it  is  greenish-yellow.     This  is 
the  garter-snake,  or  water-garter,  and  is  stout  and 
clumsy.     It  feeds  on  frogs,  toads,  and  mice,  and  is 
eaten  by  hawks,  owls,  and  pigs.     Its  disposition  is 
peaceful,  and  its  bite  is  as  harmless  as  that  of  a 
common  fly. 

10.  The  hog-nose   snake   wears   a   gray  skin, 
tinged  with  yellow,  and  with  three  rows  of  deep- 
chestnut  blotches.     Its   head   is   small,  of  a  red 
color,  dotted  with  brown  spots,  and  turns  up  like 
the   snout   of   a  pig.     When  irritated,  the  head 
flattens  and  spreads  out  to  twice  its  usual  width. 
Hence,  it  is  called  the  spreading-adder.     Its  eyes 
are  large,  and  its  tail  is  short.     Its  only  means  of 
defense  is  the  fierce  look  it  puts  on  when  it  spreads, 
but  it  can  do  no  other  harm. 

11.  The  water-snake  is  dark-brown  above,  and 
its  sides  are  covered  with  chocolate  bands.     Its 
tail  ends  in  a  horny  tip.     It  may  sometimes  be  seen 
lying  in  a  bush  near  the  water,  watching  for  a 
chub.     The  chain-snake,  known  as  the  blue  racer, 
is  from  four  to  six  feet  long,  and  is  reddish-brown 
in  color,  with  many  narrow  yellowish  bands  over 
the  back,  which  unite  on  the  sides.     It  is  a  beau- 
tiful animal,  moves  swiftly,   and  feeds  on  other 
reptiles.     The  ribbon-snake  is  a  garter,  and  creeps 


78  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

and  darts  over  the  branches  of  bushes  and  trees, 
hunting  for  insects. 

12.  Of  smaller  size,  there  are  the  ring-snake, 
that  tries  to  defend  itself  by  sending  forth  an  un- 
pleasant odor ;  the  pretty  little  green  or  summer 
snake,  the  red-snake,  and  the  little  brown-snake, 
that  may  be  easily  tamed.     All  of  these  animals, 
when  attacked,  will  run  out  and  vibrate  their  in- 
nocent forked  tongues,  and  some  of  them  will  bite, 
but  the  wound  is  nothing  more  than  the  prick  of 
a  pin. 

13.  The  black-snake  receives  much  hatred  and 
ill-treatment  on  account  of  its  large  size  and  bold 
action.     But  he  is  amiable.     Occasionally  he  takes 
a  chicken,  or  a  nest  of  eggs,  that  do  not  belong  to 
him,  or  robs  a  bird's  nest,  but  otherwise  he  is 
friendly,  and  considers  mice  his  peculiar  property. 
He  is  supposed  to  charm  birds,  that  he  may  catch 
and  swallow  them.    But  birds  are  not  charmed  by 
any  sort  of  snake ;  they  are  only  frightened,  and 
exhausted  in  their  efforts  to  defend  their  nests, 
while  the  little  wren  is  not  even  scared  by  these 
silent  foes.    The  black-snake  often  attacks  and  kills 
the  rattlesnake. 

14.  None  of  the   snakes  thus   far  described 
have  fangs ;  and  no  snakes  are  hurtful  or  poison- 
ous except  such   as   have   fangs.     The  harmless 
snakes  kill  their  prey,  when  it  is  necessary,  by 
winding  and  crushing  it  in  their  folds.     The  black- 
snake,  more  particularly,  is,  for  this  reason,  called 


CRAWLERS   OF  GRASS  AND    WOODLAND.        79 

a  constrictor.  The  great  and  famous  constrictors, 
the  pythons  and  the  boa-constrictors,  are  found  in 
the  tropical  regions  of  South  America  and  India. 


The  Anaconda. 


15.  "The  pythons  of  India  and  the   boas  of 
America,"  says  Miss  Buckley,  "  though  they  have 


80  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

no  poison  in  their  teeth,  can  work  terrible  mischief 
with  their  powerful  joints  as  they  coil  round  even 
good-sized  animals,  such  as  an  antelope  or  a  wild 
boar,  and  crush  them  in  their  folds.  Then  it  may 
be  seen  what  a  terrible  weapon  this  flexible  back- 
bone is,  as  the  muscles  draw  it  tighter  and  tighter 
round  the  animal,  breaking  its  bones  in  pieces,  till, 
when  it  is  soft  enough  to  be  swallowed,  the  snake 
gradually  forces  it  down  its  capacious  mouth, 
moistening  it  with  saliva  as  it  goes." 

16.  The    boa-constrictor   is   sometimes    thirty 
feet   long,  and   when  watching  for  his  prey  he 
hangs  from  the  limb  of  a  tree,  like  a  huge  vine, 
with  his  head  near  the  water,  waiting  for  some 
unsuspecting  deer  to  come  to  drink.     These  ani- 
mals have  never  been  known  to  attack  a  human 
being. 

17.  The  snake  is  a  sober,  serious  animal,  and 
has  none  of  the  humor  or  play  which  we  have 
noticed  in  the  crane  and  swallows  among  birds. 
But   the  common   snakes   are    often  tamed,  and, 
when  they  have  once  become  pets,  they  are  fond 
of  being  handled. 


POISONOUS   CREEPERS  OF  THE   WILDS.         81 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
POISONOUS   CREEPERS   OF   THE    WILDS. 

"  But  alas  for  the  joys  of  this  mutable  life  ! 
Sir  Orpheus  lost  his  beautiful  wife — 
Eurydice — who  vanished  one  day 
From  earth  in  a  very  unpleasant  way  ; 
It  chanced,  as  near  as  I  can  determine, 
Through  one  of  those  vertebrated  vermin, 
That  lie  in  the  grass  so  prettily  curled, 
Waiting  to  snake  you  out  of  the  world." — SAXE. 

1.  WHEN  we  compare  snakes  with  other  ani- 
mals, with  our  home  pets,  that  we  love  and  trust, 
or  with  the  little  inhabitants  of  the  orchard,  that 
seem  so  innocent  in  their  life  of  flight  .and  song, 
we  can  hardly  help  feeling  how  low  and  detest- 
able are  these  crawling  creatures  of  the  ground. 
Indeed,  the  snake  is  a  low  animal,  and  has  less 
brains  than  the  bird.     But  he  was  in  the  world 
before  we  were,    and   he   has   his   rights,   which 
we   are   bound   to  respect.     It   is  our  ignorance 
that  interferes  with   the   life  of   the  snake,  and 
it   is   this   ignorance   that   gives   us   unnecessary 
alarm. 

2.  The  nature  and  habits  of  snakes  have  been 
thoroughly  found  out,  and  we  may  easily  know  all 
about  them.     Of  harmful  or  poisonous  serpents 
there  are  but  three  in  all  the  broad  territory  of 
North  America.     They  are  the  rattlesnake,  the 
copperhead,  and  the  water-moccasin.      And  these 
animals  are  furnished  with  the  terrible  power  of 


82  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

producing  death   by  poison,  not  that  they  may 
hurt  human  beings,  but  that   they  may  benefit 


The  American  Rattlesnake. 


themselves.  These  creatures  do  not  seek  to  injure 
sheep,  or  cattle,  or  horses,  or  men.  They  are  sim- 
ply after  small  animals  to  supply  their  table  with 
food.  All  they  ask  of  the  larger  ones  is  to  be  let 
alone.  The  poisonous  wound  they  inflict,  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  their  prey,  is  only  another 
way  of  doing  what  the  constrictors  perform  with 
their  affectionate  hug,  when  they  coil  about  their 


POISONOUS  CREEPERS   OF  THE   WILDS. 


83 


game  and  crush  it  to  death.  And  when  they  are 
attacked  they  use  this  poisonous  bite  as  their  only 
means  of  defense. 

3.  The  deadly  weapon  of  the  venomous  snake 
is  not  his  tongue ;   this  is  only  the  finger  with 
which  he  feels.     The  fangs  are  his  instruments  of 
death.     These  are  teeth,  about  four  times  as  long 
as  his  harmless  teeth,  and  they  project  one  on  each 
side  of  the  forward  part  of  the  upper  jaw.     When 
at  rest  they  are  turned  back  in  the  mouth,  and 
are  only  raised  to  strike  the  victim.     The  fang 
has  a  groove,  or  tube,  through  which  the  poisonous 
fluid,  stored  in  a  gland  in  the  jaw,  flows.     The 
same  muscles  that  throw  forward  the  fangs,  press 
the  glands,  and 

send  forth  the 
poison.  What 
the  poison  is, 
no  one  exactly 
knows.  It  has 
for  ages  been 
used  by  savage 
tribes  to  give 
the  power  of 
death  to  their 
arrows. 

4.  Much  of  the  horror  felt   toward  harmful 
snakes  arises  from  the  strange  and  hideous  stories 
people  make  up  concerning  them.     A  foreigner, 
once  writing  about  one  of  our  reptiles,  says:  "There 


Jaw  of  a  Rattlesnake :  f  f <  poison-fangs  ;  g,  gland 
secreting  poison  /  c,  canal  leading  from  gland 
to  base  of  fang  /  £,  harmless  tongue  /  s,  saliva- 
glands. 


84  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

is  here,  also,  a  large  and  horrible  serpent,  which  is 
called  a  rattlesnake.  It  has  a  head  like  that  of  a 
dog,  and  can  bite  off  a  man's  leg  as  clean  as  if  it 
had  been  hewn  down  with  an  axe."  There  is  not 
a  child  who  will  not  pronounce  this  a  wonderful 
picture  of  the  imagination.  Let  us  now  see  what 
the  rattlesnake  really  is. 

5.  The  rattlesnake  is  not  so  large  as  the  com- 
mon black-snake,  being  only  from  three  to  four  feet 
long.     He  is  light-brown  above  with  two  rows  of 
darker  brown  spots.     The  prairie  rattlesnake,  or 
massassanga,  is  the  same  animal,  only  frequenting 
more  open  marshes  and  prairie  lands.     The  name 
of  the  rattlesnake  comes  from  the  noisy  rattle  he 
carries  on  the  end  of  his  tail.      The  individual 
rattles  rarely  number  more  than  fifteen,  and  are 
no  indication  of  the  animal's  age.     He  feeds  upon 
young  hares,  squirrels,  and  birds,  which  he  secures 
by  lying  in  wait  for  them.     This  snake  is  a  slow, 
sleepy  creature,  and  never  attacks  a  large  animal 
unless  disturbed  or  annoyed. 

6.  When  after  his  prey,  which  may  be  a  bird, 
or  a  squirrel,  he  rolls  himself  into  a  coil,  gives  the 
victim  one  thrust  with  his  fangs,  and  then  draws 
back  to  wait  for  the  effect.     In  a  few  minutes  the 
prey  is  dead,  and  is  soon  swallowed  by  its  captor. 
Whenever  he  is  approached,  the  rattlesnake  shakes 
his  rattle,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  I  am  here :  don't 
tread  on  me  "  ;  and  if  his  voice  is  obeyed,  he  will  be 
as  harmless  as  the  pussy-cat  in  the  nursery  song — 


POISONOUS  CREEPERS  OF  THE   WILDS.         85 

"  If  I  don't  pull  her  tail,  she'll  do  me  no  harm." 

The  black-snake   is  the   enemy  of   his  poisonous 
neighbor,  as  the  following  story  shows : 

7.  "  In  the  middle  of  the  road  lay  an  ordinary 
black-snake  and  quite  a  large  rattlesnake,  eying 
each  other  fiercely,  both  ready  for  an  attack.     A 
person   stood  motionless  to  see  the   battle   take 
place ;  but  he  waited  long,  and  still  the  combatants 
did  not  move.     At  length,  tired  of  watching,  he 
slightly  shook  the  bar  of  the  fence,  which  caused 
the  rattlesnake  to  look  from  its  opponent  to  him- 
self.    Instantly  the  black-snake  sprang  upon  the 
other,  twisted  itself  tightly  around  its  neck,  and 
then  its  body,  and  glided  off,  and  there  lay  the 
rattlesnake  dead." 

8.  From  his  general  character,  one  would  hardly 
conclude  that  the  rattlesnake  would  cultivate  social 
and  friendly  relations  with  other  animals.     But  it 
has  been  found  that  he  is  a  cunning  friend  and 
fellow  of  some  other  creatures,  and  that  he  actually 
keeps  house  with  them.     In  the  far  West,  prairie- 
dogs  and  burrowing  owls  live  together  agreeably 
in  the  ground-houses  they  build.     The  rattlesnake 
finds  here  a  warm  and  cozy  shelter,  and  is  freely 
admitted   as  a  boarder.     He   never  troubles  the 
owl,  nor  does  he  molest  the  dog ;  but  the  young 
of  the  dog  soon  disappear,  and  we  can  easily  guess 
how  and  where. 

9.  The  copperhead,  an  inhabitant  of  the  South- 
ern States,  is  about  two  feet  long,  quiet,  silent, 


86 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 


and  dwells  in  dark,  shady  places.  Its  color  is 
light-chestnut,  with  darker  lines  or  cross-bars,  and 
its  head  is  deep  copper  color,  whence  its  name. 
The  harmless  hog-nose  snake  somewhat  resembles 
it,  and  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  the  copperhead. 
The  moccasin,  or  cotton-mouth,  of  the  Southern 
States,  is  about  the  size  of  the  copperhead,  of  dark- 
chestnut  color,  with  cross-bars  of  black.  In  sum- 
mer it  lies  on  the  low  branches  of  bushes  over- 
hanging the  water,  watching  for  its  prey,  and  is 
more  lively  than  other  poisonous  snakes. 


The  Cobra  de  Gapello. 


POISONOUS  CREEPERS  OF  THE   WILDS.         87 

10.  The  cobra,  which  inhabits  many  parts  of 
Asia,  is   remarkable   on   account   of    the   stories 
that  connect  it  with  the  Indian  jugglers.     When 
at  rest,  the  neck  of  this  snake  is  no  larger  than 
its  head;  but,  when  excited,  the  neck  swells  to 
great  size,  while  the  animal  raises  the  front  part 
of  his  body  upright,  and  becomes  stiff  like  a  bar 
of  iron.     This  expanded  neck  gives  it  the  name 
of  hooded  snake.     There'  is  also  on  the  back  of 
this  hood  a  figure,  like  one  of  the  eyes  of  a  pair 
of  spectacles,  and  hence  it  is  called  the  spectacled 
viper.    Although  the  bite  of  this  animal  is  dead- 
ly, the  natives  regard  it  with  religious  veneration. 
It  is  said  that   the   Buddhists,  when  they  have 
caught  a  cobra,  inclose  it  in  a  basket  of  woven 
palm -leaves,  and  set  it  afloat  on  a  river,  when 
it  is   supposed   it  will  escape   and   swim  to  the 
shore. 

11.  The  cobra  in  its  wild  state  is  more  spirited 
and  ferocious  than  our  rattlesnake.     During  recent 
years  it  has  increased  in  number  to  an  alarming 
extent,  and,  driven  by  a  scarcity  of  its  ordinary 
food,  has  attacked  and  killed  a  great  many  cattle 
and   human   beings.      To  reduce  the  ravages  of 
these  pests,  the  English  government  offered  large 
rewards  for  their  destruction.     The  natives,  find- 
ing it  a  profitable  business  to  bring  in  snakes' 
heads,  readily  put  aside  their  religious  supersti- 
tion, and  nurseries  for  the  breeding  of  these  rep- 
tiles sprung  up  everywhere.     Hence,  it  was  found 


88  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

necessary  to  discontinue  the  reward,  and  let  the 
cobras  have  their  own  way. 

12.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cobra  is  said  to 
become  a  sociable  pet,  and  harmless  to  its  known 
friends.     A  wealthy  man  in  India  kept  several 
cobras,  in  the  place  of  dogs,  to  guard  his  property. 
They  were  accustomed  to  go  in  and  out  of  the 
house  with  other  animals  without  molesting  any- 
body ;  but  they  were  a  terror  to  thieves,  and,  as 
we  might  naturally  infer,  very  few  innocent  visit- 
ors would  approach  a  house  so  guarded. 

13.  That   snakes   sometimes   show  an   intelli- 
gence worthy  of  higher  animals,  is  shown  by  the 
following  incident :  A  cobra  had  thrust  his  head 
through  a  narrow  hole  in  a  fence  and  swallowed 
a  toad ;  but  with  this  load  he  could  not  withdraw 
himself  through  the  hole :  so  he  let  the  precious 
morsel  go,  and  the  morsel  began  to  hop  away. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  snake  philosophy  to 
bear,  and  the  toad  was  again  swallowed,  and  again 
the  snake  found  himself  too  big  to  draw  back 
through  the  hole,  and  again  let  him  go.     Finally, 
the  cobra,  having  learned  his  lesson,  seized  the 
toad  by  its  leg,  drew  it  back  through  the  hole, 
when  it  was  swallowed  in  triumph. 

14.  The  Indian  jugglers  in  some  way  exert 
great   power  over  these  snakes.     It  "has  been  a 
puzzle  to  visitors  and  naturalists  to  know  how 
they  manage  them.     One  of  these  men  will  take 
a  single  snake  in  his  hands,  tie  it  about  his  neck, 


POISONOUS  CREEPERS  OF  THE  WILDS.         89 

and  handle  it  as  if  it  were  a  kitten.  He  will  then 
introduce  a  chicken,  which  the  serpent  immediately 
bites,  and  which  soon  dies,  when  the  juggler  will 
again  play  with  his  animal. 

15.  Some  charmers   brandish  a   stick   at   the 
snake,  and  play  a  sort  of  flute  before  it,  when  the 
beast  moves  in  a  regular  manner,  called  a  dance. 
It  has  been  thought  that  these  tricksters  merely 
make  personal  friends  of  the  animals,  or  that  they 
extract  their  fangs,  for  they  are  observed  to  be 
apparently   bitten,   yet   without   harm.      One   of 
them,  however,  was  exposed  by  a  naturalist,  who 
knew  all  about  snakes.     He  found  that  the  charm- 
er had  a  young  python  so  skillfully  painted  that 
an  ordinary  person  could  not  distinguish  it  from 
a  cobra.     The   charmer  made   a   show   of   great 
alarm  when  this  stranger  asked  the  privilege  of 
handling  the  snakes,  but  finally  yielded ;  the  nat- 
uralist took  the  snake,  and  was  slightly  bitten. 
Then  the  native   applied   his  snake-stone  to  the 
wound,  and  made  up  queer  faces,  as  these  show- 
men do  in  such  cases,  and  convinced  the  spectators 
that  these  wonderful  remedies  had  cured  the  nat- 
uralist. 

16.  Snakes  of  all  kinds  find  effective  enemies 
in  pigs.     The  porkers  seem  to  relish  a  meal  even 
of  the  poisonous  kind.     They  are  not  annoyed  by 
the  bite,  and  the  wound  does  them  no  harm.     The 
secretary-bird  and  buzzard  take  pleasure  in  com- 
bats with  these  dangerous  creatures,  which  they 


90  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

eagerly  devour.  *  And  we  are  glad  to  leave  the 
poisonous  reptiles  to  the  tender  mercies  of  their 
foes,  and  to  know  that  their  numbers  are  gradually 
decreasing. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

WINGS   OF   GOSSAMER   AND   GOLD. 

"  On  the  crimson  cloth 
Of  my  study-desk, 
A  lustrous  moth 
Poised,  statuesque. 
Of  a  waxen  mold 
Were  its  tight  limbs  shaped, 
And  in  scales  of  gold 
Its  body  was  draped  ; 
While  its  delicate  wings 
Were  netted  and  veined 
With  silvery  strings, 
Or  golden  grained, 
Through  whose  filmy  maze 
In  tremulous  flight 
Danced  quivering  rays 
Of  the  gladsome  light." 

1.  BUTTERFLIES  and  moths,  because  they  are 
so  light  and  airy,  have  been  called  "  winged 
thoughts."  Their  beauty  is  all  that  the  poet  sees 
in  them,  and  all  that  we,  who  are  not  poets,  usual- 
ly see.  This  beauty  charms  us,  as  it  should ;  but 
it  also  misleads  us.  Nearly  everybody  gives  the 
butterfly  a  chance  of  life,  because  she  is  beautiful, 


WINGS  OF  GOSSAMER  AND    GOLD.  91 

while  less  attractive  insects  are  stepped  upon  be- 
cause they  appear  disgusting.     This  is  unjust  to 


The  Peacock- Butterfly. 

the  butterfly,  as  well  as  to  their  companions,  and 
unjust  to  ourselves.  Our  treatment  of  insects  is 
a  mistaken  one,  because  we  know  so  little  about 
them.  We  must  walk  into  their  world,  and  find 
out  what  they  are,  and  what  they  do.  We  must 
know  who  among  them  are,  and  who  are  not,  our 
true  friends. 

2.  Butterflies  and  moths  are  insects ;  but  what 


92  FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

are  insects  ?  Feel  of  one,  and  see  how  hard  and 
often  shiny  is  its  body.  They  wear  their  skeletons 
on  the  outside,  while  birds,  snakes,  and  fishes 
carry  their  skeletons  inside  their  bodies.  The  in- 
sect has  no  real  bones,  but  it  has  a  head,  a  thorax, 
or  chest,  and  a  body,  or  abdomen,  each  protected 
by  a  case,  and  connected  with  the  other  parts  by 
a  movable  joint.  Joined  to  the  thorax,  it  has  six 
legs,  and  usually  four  wings. 

3.  The  mouth   of   insects    contains  jaws  that 
work  toward  each  other  horizontally,  instead  of  up 
and  down,  as  in  the  dog  or  horse.     Some  of  them, 
like  the  cockroach  and  grasshopper,  have  jaws  for 
crushing  and  chewing,  and   they   trouble  us  by 
chewing  too  much.     The  mouth  of  others,  like  the 
butterfly,  that  sucks  sweet  juices  from  flowers,  has 
softer  jaws.     And  the  under  lip  is  turned  into  a 
tube,  which,  in  some,  rolls  up,  and,  when  unrolled, 
is  long  enough  to  reach  to  the  calyx  of  a  deep 
flower.     From    the   sides  of   the  mouth  run  out 
long  feelers,  or  antennae,  which  carry  the  sense  of 
touch ;  though  insects  have  some  power  of  feeling 
in  their  lips  and  feet. 

4.  For  breathing,  the  insect  has  holes  nearly 
all  over  the  whole  body ;  and  tubes  connect  these 
holes  with  the  living  organs  within.     But  the  most 
wonderful  thing  of  all  about  them  is  the  change 
of   form  through  which  they  pass.     First  is  the 
egg;  then  the  living  thing  that  is  hatched  from 
the  egg,  which  is  called  the  larva,  or  caterpillar ; 


WIN  OS  OF  GOSSAMER  AND   GOLD.  93 

then  the  pupa,  or  chrysalis,  in  which  the  larva  is 
wrapped  up  like  a  baby  in  its  blanket ;  and,  last 
out  of  the  pupa,  the  perfect  insect.  Like  birds, 
insects  live  in  the  air,  the  earth,  and  the  water. 

5.  Those  of  showy  wings  are  grouped  together. 
They  are  called  scale- winged.     You  have  noticed  a 
fine  dust,  or  bloom,  on  the  wing  of  the  butterfly, 
which  is  easily  rubbed  off.     Under  the  microscope 
these  patches  of  dust  prove  to  be  scales,  and  they 
give  to  the  wing  its  colored  and  metallic  hues. 
And,  what  is  still  more  curious,  these  fine  particles 
have  the  form  of  perfect  scales,  and  they  lap  over 
one  on  the  other  like  the  scales  of  a  fish.     So,  the 
butterfly,  by  its  wings  and  its  scales,  is  cousin  to 
both  birds  and  fishes. 

6.  Now  for  the  difference  between  butterflies 
and  moths.     Butterflies  are  on  the  wing  in  the 
day-time,  while  moths  fly  at  night.     The  antennae 
of  the  former  end  in  knots  or  clubs ;  those  of  the 
latter  are  pointed.     When  at   rest,  the  butterfly 
erects  its  wings  on  its  back  unfolded ;  the  moth 
folds  its  wings  lengthwise,  like  a  fan.     The  beauty 
of  the  wing  often  serves  for  a  protection;  when 
laid  back  or  folded,  the  insect  can  scarcely  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  flower  or  leaf  on  which  it  has 
alighted. 

7.  Butterflies  among  insects  are  what  humming- 
birds are  among  feathered  beings.     Sporting  their 
bright  colors  in  the  sunlight,  and  gamboling  from 
flower  to  flower,  sipping  sweet  juices,  they  live  but 


94: 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 


a  few  weeks.     So,  they  have  been  thought  to  pict- 
ure a  vain  life  of  ease  and  show  that  ends  in  noth- 


The 


Sphinx-Moth. 


ing.  This  is  all  wrong.  Mrs.  Butterfly  is  a  great 
worker.  She  is  serious  and  earnest,  as  much  so  as 
any  robin  or  blue-bird  that  builds  a  nest  and 
cares  for  its  young.  Her  beautiful  dress  is  her 
protection.  As  long  as  she  is  admired,  she  will 
escape  harm :  and  that  is  just  what  she  wants, 
while  she  is  busy  as  a  bee  hunting  nests  for  her 
eggs,  and  providing  for  her  young  when  born. 
8.  And  this  gay  Mrs.  Butterfly,  while  she 


WINGS  OF  GOSSAMER  AND   GOLD.  95 

seems  to  be  airing  her  fine  clothes  for  the  benefit 
of  admiring  eyes,  is  all  the  time,  with  the  industry 
and  affection  of  a  real  mother,  providing,  it  may 
be,  for  a  future  brood  of  destroyers.  Look  at 
the  crawling  green  or  hairy  caterpillars :  these  are 
the  dear  children  of  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Butterfly. 
When  you  are  gazing  at  these  infants,  the  mother, 
perhaps,  has  gone  to  her  grave.  Life  with  her 
was  a  great  success.  A  dozen  boys  tried  to  catch 
her  with  their  hats,  but  failed.  Little  girls  praised 
her  beauty  and  said  sweet  things  about  her,  but 
never  thought  of  doing  her  harm — least  of  all  that 
she  might  be  doing  harm. 

9.  In  the  garden  she  was  fluttering  about,  and 
with  white  wings,  bordered  and  tinged  with  black, 
she  was  wantonly  skipping  from  flower  to  flower. 
Little   children   pursued   her,   and   the   gardener 
cautioned  them  not  to  kill  the  delicate  little  creat- 
ures.    To-day,  perhaps,  the  gardener  is  hunting 
over  his  cabbage  for  the  little  creepers  that  are 
robbing  him  of  the  fruit  of  his  labor,  wondering 
where  the  wicked  pests  come  from.     And  the  little 
girl   is   asking   her   mother  to  brush  the  horrid 
creature  from  her  neck.     Yet,  while  they  were 
admiring  the  beauty  of   Mrs.  Butterfly,  she  was 
slyly  making  nests  for  her  ugly  and  destructive 
children  in  the  gardener's  cabbages.     Her  scheme 
worked  well.     Fifty  robber  caterpillars  now  rise 
up  and  call  their  mother  blessed. 

10.  So,  there  are  busy  hands  at  work  early  in 

5 


96 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


the  summer-day  trying  to  find  the  great  green 
caterpillar,  that  strips  the  plants  of  tobacco,  potato, 
or  tomato.  It  did  not  occur  to  the  heads  that 
bend  over  those  hands  that  they  had  possibly  met 
the  mother  of  these  detested  worms.  She  was  so 
beautiful,  with  wings  extended  four  inches,  delicate 
as  gossamer,  and  glorious  in  colors  of  brown,  yel- 
low, and  black.  This  was  Mrs.  Moth,  or  Mrs. 
Hawk  -  Moth.  She  was  too  beautiful  to  kill ; 
yet  she  was  the  mother  of  at  least  sixty  of  those 

destructive  in- 
fants. She  was 
cunning.  She 
produced  just 
the  impression 
she  intended. 
How  much  easi- 
er to  destroy  the 
mother  than  to 
hunt  for  her  six- 
ty children ! 

11.  The  peacock-butterfly,  however,  may  live, 
and  display  to  admiring  eyes  its  wings  of  russet- 
brown  and  black,  each  adorned  with  the  mark  of 
the  peacock's  tail.  The  tortoise-shell  butterfly, 
with  wings  of  yellow  and  brown,  edged  with  dark 
bands  and  spots,  may  also  live.  These  please  the 
eye,  and  their  children  are  harmless.  But  it  is  the 
duty  of  Mrs.  Cabbage-Butterfly,  Mrs.  Hawk-Moth, 
and  the  more  unattractive  parents  of  cut-worms 


Large  Tortoise-SMI  Butterfly. 


WINGS  OF  GOSSAMER  AND   GOLD.  97 

and  canker- 
worms,  to  die 
early;  and  it 
is  our  privi- 
lege to  help 
them  to  die. 

12.  The 
way  that  Mrs. 

TT        i     n/r    xi  The  Cabbage- Butterfly. 

Hawk-Moth, 

or  Mrs.  Butterfly,  becomes  a  citizen  of  the  commu- 
nity of  insects  reminds  us  of  the  way  Jack's  house 
was  built.  Her  mother  laid  the  egg  that  hatched 
the  caterpillar,  that  turned  into  the  chrysalis,  that 
brought  forth  Mrs.  Hawk-Moth,  or  Mrs.  Butterfly. 
A  cluster  of  eggs  was  glued  to  the  under  side  of  a 
leaf.  In  about  ten  days  the  hungry  infants  ap- 
peared, each  moving  on  sixteen  legs.  Lively  in- 
fants they  were.  All  the  nursing  they  required 
was  done  for  them  by  their  mother  before  they 
were  born.  They  are  born  on  a  breakfast-table, 
and  begin  at  once  to  eat.  They  continue  to  eat. 
They  eat  continually.  They  eat  enormously.  In 
one  month  they  eat  ten  thousand  times  their  own 
weight.  By  and  by  they  grow  tired  of  eating  and 
of  life. 

13.  Then  each  caterpillar  crawls  on  the  under 
side  of  a  leaf,  and  spins  from  its  mouth  a  tuft  of 
silk,  with  which  its  hind  legs  are  fastened  to  the 
leaf.     Here  it  hangs,  head  downward,  and  seems 
to  die.     In  twenty -four  hours  its  rough    coat   is 


98 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


gone,  and  in  its  place  is  a  long  case  like  an  acorn, 
which  is  often  bright-green,  and  sometimes  covered 
with  dots  of  gold.  For  this  reason  it  is  called 
chrysalis,  golden.  This  is  the  pupa.  It  lives  on 
what  the  caterpillar  ate.  But  soon  the  green 
grows  purple ;  the  gold  turns  pale ;  the  front  of 
the  chrysalis  opens  like  the  parting  of  curtains, 
and  out  comes  the  perfect  creature,  in  robes  of 
gorgeous  velvet,  with  wing  of  gold. 

14.  As  no  artist  with  color  and  brush  can  paint 
anything  so  beautiful  as  the  wing  of  some  butter- 
flies and  moths,  so,  no  engineer  has  ever  contrived 

anything  so  light 
and  yet  so  strong 
as  the  four  gossa- 
mer wings  of  the 
dragon-fly.  From 
its  long,  sharp 
body,  stretching 
away  out  behind 
its  wings,  it  has 
acquired  a  bad 
name,  and  is  call- 
ed the  devil's  darn- 
ing-needle. This 
is  a  slander,  for 
the  dragon-fly  is 
one  of  our  friends 
among  insects.  It 
The  Dragon-Fly.  is  a  dashing  war- 


WINGS,  BUSY  AND  SOBER.  99 

rior,  and  eats  everything  of  the  insect  kind — flies, 
gnats,  mosquitoes,  and  butterflies.  This  fact  should 
warm  our  sympathies  toward  the  dragon-fly. 

15.  The  life  of  the  dragon-fly  is  mostly  about 
the  water.  In  the  water  it  deposits  its  eggs. 
Here  the  larvae  are  hatched.  They  are  greedy 
eaters,  and  live  in  this  state  for  about  a  year. 
Then  they  crawl  up  the  bank,  perhaps  climb  a 
bush,  and  become  pupas,  not  inactive,  like  the 
chrysalis  of  the  butterfly,  but  eating  all  insects 
that  come  in  their  way.  When  the  pupa  is  com- 
plete, it  seizes  a  twig,  and  swings  back  and  forth 
until  an  opening  is  made.  Then  the  perfect  in- 
sect, in  tints  of  white,  scarlet,  blue,  and  green, 
comes  forth,  and  is  an  object  of  great  beauty. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
WINGS,   BUSY  AND   SOBER. 

1.  THE  house-fly  loves  us  better  than  we  love 
her.  She  comes  with  the  summer,  and  makes  a 
world  of  trouble.  But  the  summer  would  seem 
wrong  without  flies.  Old  Dinah,  in  the  kitchen, 
finds  her  soul  vexed  when  flies  are  many;  and 
when  they  are  few  her  face  looks  sad,  and  she 
says :  "  A  heap  o'  trouble  will  come  if  we  don't 
have  more  flies."  Walter,  who  is  just  old  enough 
to  inquire  about  everything  he  sees,  wonders 


100         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

where  so  many  flies  come  from,  and  older  people 
too  are  as  curious  as  Walter. 

2.  Last  autumn  the  great  host  of   house-flies 
died  and  disappeared.     Old  age  and  the  frost  took 
them  away.     Only  a  few  remained  alive,  and  these 
hid  in  warm  nooks  about  the  chimney,  or  in  the 
wardrobe.     When  the  spring  opens,  these  few  flies 
will  deposit  their  eggs  in  litter  and  decaying  sub- 
stances.    One  of  them  will  lay  four  hundred  eggs. 
The  young  hatched  will,  when  they  become  per- 
fect insects,  lay  eggs.     So  that  from  one  fly,  left 
over  from  last  fall,  there  may  be  produced  two 
million,  active,  playful,  saucy  youngsters. 

3.  The  foot  of  the  fly  is  a  curious  thing — 

"  How  it  crawls,  up  the  walls, 
Yet  it  never  falls." 

The  foot  has  two  claws,  and  hollow  cushions, 
which,  with  the  aid  of  a  sticky  fluid,  press  the  air 
out  and  adhere  to  smooth  surfaces  like  glass. 
The  eye  is  composed  of  a  great  number  of  small 
eyes ;  and  the  tongue,  which  anybody  can  see,  runs 
out  and  ends  in  knob-like  leaves  or  lips,  which 
lap  or  suck  up  sweet  liquids.  Like  the  chimney- 
swift,  the  house-fly  keeps  close  to  the  habitations 
of  men.  In  the  lonely  coral  island  of  the  sea  the 
appearance  of  this  familiar  friend  indicates  that 
human  beings  are  near. 

4.  The  house-fly  does  not  injure  man  person- 
ally ;  he  does  not  bite,  but  enters  the  house  to  get 


WINGS,   BUSY  AND  SOBER.  101 

his  food.  Walter  understands  this,  but  he  fails  to 
see  why  the  flies  bother  him  so,  if  they  do  not 
want  to  bite  him.  And  this  is  a  difficult  point  to 
settle.  The  affection  the  fly  bears  toward  us  must 
be  strong.  If  he  lights  on  the  forehead,  he  takes 
no  hint  to  leave.  Possibly  he  visits  the  human 
head  for  the  same  reason  as  boys  pelt  it  with  snow- 
balls— only  for  fun.  There  seems  to  be  a  great  deal 
of  boys'  fun  in  the  fly.  Bring  your  hand  down  on 
the  forehead  when  he  lights,  harder  and  faster, 
till  it  aches ;  the  fly  makes  good  use  of  his  eight 
thousand  eyes,  his  springy  legs,  and  his  active 
wings,  and  always  escapes  unhurt.  Doubtless  he 
is  pleased  at  the  headache  he  causes. 

5.  It  is  very  different  with  the  mosquito,  that 
comes  from  the  pupa,  that  comes  from  the  little 
wiggler,  that  comes  from  the  egg  that  was  laid  in 
the   water.      It   is   said   that   young   mosquitoes 
purify  stagnant  water ;   but  they  do  not,  it  must 
be  said,  always  purify  human  temper.    Still,  there 
is  no  mischievous  fun  about  the  mosquito.     He  is 
honest.     He  is  a  sober,  solemn  man  of  business. 
When  he  approaches  his  victim  by  night,  he  comes 
for  blood,  and  his  victim  knows  it.     He  sounds  a 
trumpet  before  him,  giving  his  victim  a  chance  to 
prepare  for  defense. 

6.  When  he  lights  on   the   human  face,  the 
mosquito,  at  the  peril  of  his  life,  proceeds  at  once 
to  business.      He  introduces  into  the  soft  cheek 
his  proboscis,  takes  a  sip  of  blood,  leaves  a  little 


102         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

irritating  saliva  to  raise  a  memorial  of  his  work, 
and  then  withdraws  in  triumph  or  dies  like  a  hero. 
Not  so  the  fly.  Like  a  silly,  wanton  boy,  he  runs 
over  the  skin  of  his  benefactor,  always  tickling 
and  teasing,  but  never  biting.  A  white,  shiny 
bald  head  is  regarded  by  flies  as  a  base-ball  park 
specially  provided  for  their  amusement. 

7.  The  blue-bottle  fly,  known  by  its  green-blue 
color,  does  not  annoy  our  per- 
sons, but  troubles  our  meat  and 
other  food.  Besides  a  probos- 
cis, it  is  furnished  with  a  lancet, 
to  cut  into  tough  flesh.  Its  sole 
object  is  to  find  a  place  where 
to  lay  its  eggs;  and,  like  the 

The  Blue-Bottle  Fly.         -,  /,        .,  -,  ,    «         ., 

butterfly,  it  seeks  a  nest  lor  its 
in  the  particular  substance 


Larva  and  Pupa.  .   ,.  -.  ,., 

which  its  young  larvae  like  to 
eat.  This  is  chiefly  meat.  Hence,  in  warm 
weather,  meat  can  not  long  be  exposed  before  it 
is  blown  by  this  blow-fly.  Nor  is  this  fly  to  be 
beaten  by  an  oval  cover  of  wire  gauze  placed  over 
the  food.  If  she  can  not  touch  the  meat,  she  will 
sit  on  the  top  of  the  cover  and  drop  her  eggs 
through  the  holes.  And  from  these  eggs  come 
unpleasant  larvae  called  maggots. 

8.  Walter  received  an  impressive  lesson  on 
bees.  On  his  third  birthday  he  visited  a  friend 
in  the  country.  Like  most  youth  of  his  age,  he 
felt  in  duty  bound  to  investigate  everything. 


WINGS,   BUST  AND  SOBER. 


103 


Displeased  with  the  arrangement  of  things,  he 
carried  the  wood-saw  to  the  barn,  and  brought  the 
horse-collar  to  the  wood-shed.  He  also  had  the 
good  fortune  to  find  a  green  apple.  In  his  at- 
tempt to  secure  it  he  invaded  the  territory  of  a 
hen  with  chickens,  whose  attack  was  not  pleasant 
to  Walter.  However,  he  laid  hold  of  his  apple, 
and  looked  about  for  a  place  of  safety.  On  one 
side  of  the  orchard  he  saw  a  row  of  square  white 
boxes,  and  it  occurred  to  him  that  one  of  these 
would  be  an  admirable  seat,  from  which  he  might 
survey  the  objects  about  him,  and  eat  his  apple  in 
peace. 

9.  So  he  ran  to  the  row  of  bee-hives,  stepped 
upon  the  platform  on  which  they  rested,  climbed 
to  the  top-  of 
one  of  the  box- 
es,  and  sat 
down.  As  he 
began  to  eat 
his  apple,  he 
also  began  to 
knock  his 

heels      against  The  Common  Ho^-Bee. 

the  sides  of  the  box — a  motion  of  young  boys  that 
always  shows  they  are  inwardly  happy.  But 
this  violence  was  more  than  the  quiet  workers 
within  could  bear.  They  rushed  out  and  attacked 
the  heels  that  were  creating  the  disturbance ;  and 
not  only  the  heels,  but  everything  connected  with 


104:         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

the  heels — the  legs,  the  body,  the  hands,  the  face, 
the  head.  The  lad  dropped  his  apple,  sounded  a 
loud  alarm,  and  was  with  some  difficulty  rescued. 
This  was  Walter's  introduction  to  bees,  which  was 
principally  an  introduction  of  the  bees  to  Walter. 

10.  Since    Walter    has   grown   older   he   has 
learned  many  other  interesting  things  about  bees 
besides  the  sting.     The  queen  bee  is  longer  than 
the  others,  and  is  mother  and  ruler  of  the  whole 
hive.     She  lays  in  the  cells  of    the  comb   three 
kinds  of  eggs,  that  produce  three  kinds  of  bees : 
the  males  (A),  the  queens  (B),  and  the  workers 
(C).     The  drones  neither  work  nor  sting.     The 
workers  do  all  the  work  and  all  the  stinging.    Wal- 
ter regrets  to  find  that  the  workers  and  drones 
live  in  the  same  hive.     If  he  is  again  to  sit  on  a 
hive,  he  would  prefer  that  it  should  contain  only 
drones.     Other  facts  he  has  learned,  which  may 
easily  be  found — how  the  workers  make  a  new 
queen ;  how  they  make  wax  (E)  ;  how  they  feed 
the  young  (D) ;  and  how  they  live  through  the 
winter ;  and  why  they  store  their  honey  in  a  great 
many  small  cells,  rather  than  in  a  few  large  ones. 

11.  Our  young  friend  has  added  to  his  stock 
of  knowledge  something  about  the  carpenter-bee, 
that  lives  alone  and  builds  her  nest  in  the  body  of 
a  tree.     She  bores  holes,  and  in  them  makes  cells, 
one  above  the  other,  like  a  row  of  shelves.     In  the 
bottom  of  the  cells  she  mixes  a  paste  of  sawdust 
and  honey,  in  which  she  lays  her  egg,  and  then 


WINGS,   BUSY  AND  SOBER. 


105 


closes  the  cell  with  her  cement.  It  is  remarkable 
that  she  always  incloses  food  enough  to  supply 
her  young  till  they 
change  into  pupae. 

12.  The  humble-bee, 
the  "  yellow  -  breeched 
philosopher,"  Walter  in- 
vestigated with  a  stick. 
He  found  out  how  the 
old  bee  dug  out  a  nest 
in  the  ground,  laid  eggs, 
and  hatched  larvae,  who 
spin  little  silk  houses 
about  themselves.  He 
found  that  humble-bees 

Store    but    little    honey  ;  The  Carpenter- Bee. 

but  it  was  pleas- 
ing to  know  that 
when  they  gath- 
er the  pollen  of 
clover- blossoms 
for  their  young, 
they  carry  this 
pollen  from 
flower  to  flower, 
so  that  the  clo- 
ver will  bear  its 
seed. 

13.  Our  lit- 
The  Mud  -  Wasp.  tie     naturalist 


106         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

has  learned  something  about  wasps,  without  being 
stung  by  them.  The  mud  or  mason  wasp  brings 
to  the  place,  where  she  builds  her  nest,  balls  of 
fresh  mud,  which  she  flattens  and  spreads  out  by 
the  use  of  her  jaws,  as  a  mason  does  with  his  trow- 
el. She  divides  the  nest  into  cells,  and  in  each 
cell  places  an  egg.  Then  she  hunts  butterflies, 
caterpillars,  and  spiders,  and  stings  them  so  as  to 
paralyze  them,  and  puts  one  of  these  animals  into 
each  cell  for  the  larvae  to  eat  when  they  are  hatched. 

14.  The   paper-making  wasps   are  more  like 
bees.     They  build  for  a  large  society.     They  have 
queens  and  workers ;  but  both  work,  and  no  par- 
ticular one  rules.     Theirs  is  a  free  city,  where  all 
females  are  queens,  and  all  work  for  the  public 
good.     Their  house  is  built  of  paper.     For  it  they 
pick  up  scraps  of  newspaper;  but  the  most  of  their 
building-material  is  made  of  the  fiber  of  wood, 
which   they   chew  and  work   into  balls.     These 
balls  are  carried  between  their  legs  to  the  place  of 
building,  where  they  are  rolled  into  thin  sheets. 
Of  this  paper  six-sided  cells  are  made,  which  are 
not  storehouses  for  honey,  but  cradles  for  babies. 
The  wasp  has  an  ugly  sting,  which  it  uses  when 
interfered  with ;  but  it  is  peaceable  and  remark- 
ably cunning,  as  this  story  shows : 

15.  "One    morning   a   wasp   lighted   near  a 
spider's  nest,  on  the  side  opposite  the  opening. 
Creeping  softly  around  toward  the  entrance  of  the 
nest,  the  wasp  stopped  a  little  short  of  it,  and  for 


WINGS,  BUSY  AND  SOBER.  107 

a  moment  remained  quiet ;  then,  reaching  out  his 
antennae,  he  wriggled  it  before  the  opening,  and 
withdrew  it.  Immediately  the  boss  of  the  nest,  as 
large  a  spider  as  one  ordinarily  sees,  came  out  to 
see  what  was  wrong.  With  a  quick  movement 
the  wasp  thrust  his  sting  into  his  foe,  killing  him 
almost  instantly.  The  same  experiment  was  again 
tried  by  the  wasp,  and,  when  there  was  no  response, 
he  proceeded  to.  enter  the  nest  and  slaughter  the 
young  spiders,  which  were  afterward  lugged  off 
one  at  a  time." 

16.  The  little  yellow  horse-fly,  or  bot-fly,  is 
almost  as  shrewd  as  the  wasp.  She  wants  her 
young  to  feed  on  the  inside  of  a  horse's  stomach. 
How  shall  she  get  them  there?  She  knows. 
While  the  animal  is  feeding  she  buzzes  quietly 
over  him,  and  now  and  then  drops  down  and  lays 
a  few  eggs  on  his  shoulders  and  knees,  places 
where  the  horse  often  bites  and  licks  himself.  In 
about  twenty  days  these  eggs,  which  were  glued 
to  the  hair,  open,  and  the  horse  takes  the  larvae 
into  his  mouth  and  swallows  them,  and  there  they 
live  and  are  happy,  though  by  their  presence  the 
horse  is  not  always  so  happy. 


108         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
FLYING-BUGS  AND   WALKING-STICKS. 

1.  ALMOST  everybody  recognizes  beetles  when 
they  are  called  bugs.     There  are  the  ham-bug,  the 
May-bug,  the  squash-bug,  the  lady-bug,  the  tumble- 
bug,  the  pinch-bug,  and  the  potato-bug — all  famil- 
iar acquaintances.    They  are  all  beetles ;  and  what 
is  noticeable  about  them  is  their  hard,  shiny  out- 
side, or  case.      And  it  is  sometimes  a  matter  of 
surprise   to   find   that  one  of  these  bugs,  while 
crawling  along,  will  suddenly  rise  and  -fly,  though 
no  wings  are  to  be  seen.     This  is  because  the  two 
forward  wings  are  not  used  for  flying,  but  to  cover 
the  other  two  wings.     So,  when  the  animal  is  not 
flying,  the  wings  lie  down  and  are  inclosed  by  these 
shiny  covers. 

2.  The  larva  of  the  beetle  is  like  that  of  the 
butterfly,  and  resembles  a  caterpillar.     It  has  thir- 
teen rings,  or  sections.     But  the  pupa  is  not  so 
perfectly  covered.     The  beetle  has  two  eyes,  one 
on  each  side  of  the  head ;  but  they  are  compound, 
and,  like   those   of   the   house-fly,  contain  many 
small  eyes.     Besides  these,  there  are  two  eyes  on 
the  back  of  the  head.     None  of  these  organs  turn 
or  move  in  a  socket,  as  our  eyes  do.     Why  should 
they  ?     There  are  so  many  of  them,  that  they  can 
see  in  every  direction  without  turning. 

3.  Some  beetles  are  beautiful — glistening  with 


FLYING-BUGS  AND    WALKING-STICKS.         109 

burnished  green  and  copper  color ;  and  there  are 
those  in  tropical  countries  that  are  worn  as  orna- 
ments of  dress.     The  fire-fly,  that  is  so  attractive 
in  the  darkness  of  a 
summer    night,    and 
which  children  capt* 
ure  with  their  hand- 
kerchiefs,   and    hold 
with  their  fingers,  is 
a  beetle.      A  cousin 
of  the  fire-fly  is  the 

J      .          .  The  Glow -Worm. 

glow-worm,  which  is 

also  a  beetle.  The  worm,  of  course,  is  the  larva ; 
but  the  eggs  shine,  and  so  do  the  pupa,  and  the 
perfect  beetle.  The  larva,  or  worm,  may  be  seen 
at  night  in  some  damp  place.  The  green-blue 
light  conies  from  near  the  tail ;  hence,  one  of  its 
names  is  lampyris,  or  shining-tail. 

4.  The  glow-worm  appears  to  control  its  light. 
When  alarmed  or  handled,  the  light  often  disap- 
pears. Gilbert  White,  in  his  "  Natural  History  of 
Selborne,"  says  that  the  glow-worms  put  out  their 
lamps  between  eleven  and  twelve  at  night.  These 

"  stars  of  the  earth 
and  diamonds  of 
the  night "  are  very 
abundant  in  some 
parts  of  England. 
In  the  West  Indies 
The  Luminous  Beetle.  the  natives  have 


110         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

employed  them,  or  a  similar  insect,  as  lamps  in 
performing  their  household  occupations.  In  their 
fishing  and  hunting  expeditions,  by  night,  they 
tied  glow-worms  or  fire-flies  to  their  toes,  and  re- 
quired no  other  light.  The  light  emitted  by  in- 
sects of  this  class  has  been*  commonly  regarded 
as  phosphorescent;  but  it  is  supposed  by  some 
to  come  from  real  burning,  like  the  flame  of  a 
lamp. 

5.  Sometimes  a  feeling  of  disgust  or  hatred 
toward  an  insect  becomes  softened  or  changed 
when  the  hated  object  is  found  to  be  of  some  use. 
But  here  is  the  May-beetle,  called  the  June-bug, 
or  cockchafer.  Coming  in  great  numbers,  it  often 

eats  off  the  roots 
of  the  grass,  and 
is  as  destructive 
as  a  herd  of  mis- 
chievous pigs.  It 
is  hard  to  find  any- 
thing good  about 
the  cockchafer,  un- 
less, as  in  France, 
it  gives  amuse- 
ment to  little 
children,  who  har- 

The  Cockchafer  and  Larva. 


and  make  it  draw  toy  carts.  Or  unless  it  be  to 
take  possession  of  a  whole  human  habitation,  and 
give  healthful  exercise  to  its  inmates  on  some 


FLYING-BUGS  AND    WALKING-STICKS.         HI 

warm  June  evening,  when  all  are  disposed  to  be 
inactive  or  lazy. 

6.  This  ambitious  insect  chooses  the  occasion 
for  showing  its  power  with  a  wisdom  worthy  of 
the  greater  beings  against  whom  it  brings  its  harm- 
less attacks.     It  is  when  all  is  quiet,  and  kind 
friends,  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  are  gath- 
ered to  talk  and  laugh,  and  sing  and  play.     Or  it 
watches  for  some  festive  occasion,  when  fluttering, 
airy  dresses  abound,  and  those  whom  it  specially 
delights  to  bring  under  its  power  are  gathered  in 
large  numbers.     Then  it  is  that  this  smooth,  shiny, 
chestnut-colored  being,  no  larger  than  the  end  of 
one's  thumb,  dashes  in  at  an  open  window,  without 
warning,  and  with  a  buzz 

like  the  blower  of  a  loco- 
motive. The  explosion 
of  a  lamp,  the  falling  of 
the  roof,  or  the  cry  of  fire, 
could  scarcely  create  a 
greater  consternation.  In- 
stantly there  are  screams 
as  if  the  house  were  in 
flames.  All  proprieties 
are  forgotten,  and  beauty, 
fashion,  and  dignity  run 
wildly  against  each  other, 

•7.    &  .  The  Cockchafer  feeding. 

upsetting  chairs  and  ta- 
bles in  a  promiscuous  rush  for  places  of  safety. 

7.  All  available  weapons  of  defense  are  called 


112         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

forth ;  handkerchiefs,  newspapers,  books,  sheet- 
music,  and  fans.  For  a  moment  the  attacking 
party  is  quiet,  enjoying  the  rumpus  he  has  raised, 
and  can  not  be  found.  Then,  unexpectedly,  as  at 
first,, he  rises,  sounds  his  terrible  bugle,  makes  a 
circuit  of  the  room,  causes  a  new  fright,  and 
another  stampede,  when  he  drops  to  the  floor,  is 
cornered,  and  suffers  the  penalty  of  death  by  the 
hand  of  some  courageous  masculine  hero  providen- 
tially raised  up  for  the  occasion. 

8.  The   ancient  myth  tells  the  story  of   Sis- 
yphus, a  tyrant,  who,  as  a  punishment   for   his 
cruelty,  was  compelled  constantly  to  roll  a  stone 
up  a  hill ;  the  stone  always  rolling  down  again  as 
soon  as  it  reached  the  top.     One  is  reminded  of 
this  story  when  he  sees  the  tumble-bug  with  his 

companions     moving    a 
ball  up  the  steep  ground. 

^fL  •in   ^i8   beetle  was  called 

*    the  scarabseus,  or  sacred 
^P^f^rTJ^^*       beetle,  by  the  Egyptians, 
^^t^^    ^^^^  with  whom  it  was  a  sym- 

bol of  the  world,  of  the 

The  Scarabceus. 

sun,  and  01  a  hero. 

9.  How  many  persons  watch  the  movements  of 
these  beetles  without  knowing  their  object !    Like 
Sisyphus,  they  patiently  roll  the  ball   up   again 
and  again,  no  matter  how  many  times  it  rolls  back. 
And  for  what  purpose  is  all  this   tugging   and 
patient  toil?     The  little  ball  contains  an  egg  of 


FLYING-BUGS  AND    WALKING-STICKS.        113 

the  beetle,  and,  soon  after  it  has  reached  the  deep 
hole  in  the  ground  prepared  for  it,  the  beetle  will 
die,  without  a  sight  of  the  infant  for  whom  it  has 
struggled  so  hard. 

10.  A  story  is  told  by  Sir  John  Lubbock,  of 
one  of  these  intelligent  beetles  who  had  made  for 
the  reception  of  its  eggs  a  pellet  of  manure  too 
heavy  for  it  to  move.     It  went  to  an  adjoining 
heap,  and  soon  returned  with  three  of  its  com- 
panions.    All  four  now  took  hold  together,  and  at 
length  succeeded  in  pushing  it.     When  the  job 
was  done,  the  three  assistant  beetles  returned  to 
their  own  quarters. 

11.  Another   description  says   of   these  little 
black  heroes :  "  I  have  attentively  admired  their 
industry,  and  their  mutual  assistance  of  each  other 
in  rolling  these  balls  from  the  place  where  they 
are   buried — usually   a   distance   of   some   yards. 
This  they  perform,  back  foremost,  by  raising  their 
hind  parts,  and  pushing  away  the  ball  with  their 
hind  feet.     Two  or  three  of  them  are  sometimes 
engaged  in  trundling  one  ball,  which,  on  account 
of  the  unevenness  of  the  ground,  is  sometimes  de- 
serted by  them.     It   is,   however,  attempted   by 
others  with  success,  unless  it  happens  to  roll  into 
some  deep  hollow  or  ditch,  when  they  continue 
their  work  by  rolling  off  the  next  ball  that  comes 
in  their  way. 

12.  "  None  of   them  seem  to  know  their  own 
balls,  but  an  equal  care  for  the  whole  appears  to 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


affect  the  community.  They  form  the  pellets 
while  the  material  remains  moist,  and  leave  them 
in  the  sun  before  they  attempt  to  roll  them.  In 
moving  them  from  place  to  place,  both  they  and 

their  balls  may  fre- 
quently be  seen  tum- 
bling about  over  the  lit- 
tle eminences  in  their 
way.  They  are  not, 
however,  easily  discour- 
aged, and,  by  repeating 
their  attempts,  usually 
overcome  the  difficul- 
ties." 

13.  Another  beetle 
is    called   an   animated 
stick,  or  walking-stick. 
He  is  long  and  thin  like 
WaiUng-sticic.  a  stick  or  twig,  and  his 

six  legs  are  like  smaller 

twigs ;  and  because  he  so  closely  resembles  the 
smaller  limbs  of  a  tree,  it  is  difficult  to  find  him. 
An  attempt  to  catch  one  of  these  walking-sticks 
with  a  pair  of  scissors  only  succeeded  in  cutting 
the  creature  in  two,  when  the  head-end  walked  one 
way,  and  the  tail-end  walked  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion. Of  the  walking-stick  there  are  several 
varieties,  none  of  which  are  known  to  be  harmful 
or  destructive. 


FRUIT  AND   GRAIN  DESTROYERS.  115 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
FRUIT  AND    GRAIN    DESTROYERS. 

1.  THE  insect  tribe  is  sometimes  a  powerful 
enemy,  because  its  individuals  are  so  small  that 
their  presence  is  not  noticed;  because  their  way 
of  working  is  crafty,  and  their  tools  are  perfect ; 
and  because  their  numbers  are  immense.     A  little 
creature  half  as  large  as  a  mosquito  seems  to  be 
harmless,  because  it  is  so  small ;  but,  for  this  very 
reason,  it  can  work  in  a  head  of  wheat,  or  in  the 
joint  of  a  leaf,  or  bury  itself  in  the  stalk,  and  eat 
out   its   vital  parts   without   being   seen.     Then, 
when  there  are  so  many  of  these  invisible  work- 
ers that  they  can  furnish  an  artisan  or  two  for 
each  stalk  of  a  whole  wheat-field,  the  small  fly 
grows  important.    And  these  are 

just  the  facts  about  a  diminutive 
fly  that  destroys  the  crop  that 
gives  us  the  staff  of  life. 

2.  During  the  Revolutionary 
War,  some  Hessian  troops  came 
over  to  this  country  to  join  the 
army.   In  the  straw  they  brought 

along  for   bedding   were   some       The  Hessian  FL^ 
black,  two -winged,    red-legged 
flies,  .that  got  their  passage  without  paying  their 
fare.     It  was  a  good  trip  for  the  future  nation  of 
Hessian  flies,  but  a  bad  one  for  the  American  farmer. 


116         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


These  foreigners  somehow  found  their  way,  in  the 
early  spring,  into  a  field  of  young  wheat.  In  the 
leaf  of  the  wheat-plant  each  fly  laid  from  twenty  to 
thirty  eggs  :  the  eggs  hatched  maggots  ;  the  mag- 
gots bored  into  the  stalks  of  the  plants,  and  be- 
came pupae,  which  produced  perfect  flies.  These 
flies  again  produced  maggots,  that  remained  in 
the  stubble  of  the  wheat  till  another  year.  Mill- 
ions of  dollars'  worth  of 
precious  grain  did  these 
armies  of  winged  midg- 
ets destroy  before  their 
nature  and  habits  were 
really  known. 

3.  Then  there  is  the 
wheat-midge,  much  like 
the  Hessian  fly,  that  lays 
its  eggs  in  the  ear  of  the 
wheat.  After  doing  its 
destructive  work  of  eating  the  soft  grain,  the  or- 
ange-colored maggot  descends  to  the  earth,  spins 
a  cocoon  for  a  house,  and  remains  under  the  sur- 
face during  the  winter.  Men  of  science,  or  "  bug- 
hunters,"  as  they  were  called,  have  greatly  helped 
both  the  bread-raisers  and  the  bread-eaters,  by 
studying  and  describing  the  dark  ways  of  these 
mischievous  enemies.  It  was  they  who  told  the 
farmers  to  burn  their  wheat-stubble  in  the  fall. 
They  also  found  out  and  described  those  friendly 
insects  that  destroy  these  injurious  ones. 


The  Wheat- Midge. 


FRUIT  AND   GRAIN  DESTROYERS. 


4.  The  name  of  locust  carries  an  unpleasant 
sound,  on  account  of  the  destruction  and  suffering 
caused  by  in- 
sects 
kind 


of 


in 


The  Common  Locust. 


this 
the 

past  ages  of  the 
world's  history. 
In  Asia  and  Af- 
rica, particular- 
ly, the  visita- 
tions of  locusts  in  ancient  times  were  attended 
with  wide-spread  misery.  They  darkened  the  air 
as  they  flew,  by  their  numberless  hosts.  One  col- 
umn in  India  extended  five  hundred  miles  in  length. 
They  devoured  every  green  thing  where  they 
lighted.  The  Arabs  represented  the  locusts  as  say- 
ing to  Mohammed,  the  prophet :  "  We  are  the 
army  of  the  Great  God  ;  we  produce  ninety -nine 
eggs ;  if  the  hundred  were  completed,  we  would 
consume  the  whole  earth  and  all  that  is  in  it." 

5.  Of  course,  where  such  myriads  of  destroyers 
lighted,  eating  up  all  that  was  growing  for  the 
support  of  man  and  beast,  they  were  dreaded  as  a 
terrible  scourge.  The  people  knew  little  about 
them,  and  so  they  resorted  to  all  sorts  of  super- 
stitious measures  to  get  rid  of  them.  In  the 
Middle  Ages  the  priests  tried  to  drive  them  away 
by  pronouncing  solemn  words  in  their  ears.  The 
Arabs  caught  four  locusts,  wrote  on  the  wings  of 
each  a  verse  from  the  Koran,  and  let  them  go. 


118         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

The  locusts  were  glad  to  get  off  so  easily,  and  went 
straight  about  their  wicked  work.  It  was  found 
that  nothing  would  really  destroy  them  but  a  violent 
storm ;  and  it  is  related  that  after  such  a  storm  a 
bank  of  dead  locusts  was  seen  four  feet  high  and 
fifty  miles  long. 

6.  A   locust,  or  cicada,   not  always  harmful, 
visits  us  once  in  seventeen  years.    These  seventeen- 
year  locusts  make  themselves  known  when  they 
come.     Their  noise,  proceeding  from  beneath  their 
wings,  and  something  like  the  music  of  the  tree- 
toad,  fills  the  air,  and  has  even  drowned  the  rat- 
tling of  mills.     They  sing  when  the  sun  shines, 
and  the  males  alone  sing.      For   this   reason  an 
ancient  Greek  poet  has  dared  to  sing : 

"  Happy  are  the  cicadas'  lives, 
Because  they  all  have  voiceless  wives." 

The  twigs  of  trees  show  regular  parallel  lines  of 
punctures  in  which  they  lay  their  eggs ;  two  eggs 
are  left  in  each  hole  ;  the  grub,  or  larva,  falls  to  the 
ground,  into  which  it  bores  to  a  great  depth,  and 
spends  seventeen  years  in  getting  its  growth. 

7.  The  comfort  and  pleasure  with  which  plums 
and  peaches  are  eaten  is  often  marred  by  finding 
in  the  fruit  a  little  worm  or  grub,  which  seems  to 
have  no  right  there.     This  unpleasant  occupant 
not  only  puts  itself    in  danger  of  slaughter  by 
human  teeth,  but  it  creates  great  disappointment 
by  utterly  destroying  the  crop  of  a  whole  season. 


FRUIT  AND   GRAIN  DESTROYERS.  119 

The  work   of  this   robber-beetle,  or   curculio,  is 
done  chiefly  at  night,  when,  with  a  long  curved 
snout,  it  makes  a  crescent-shaped  cut  in  the  fruit, 
in  which  it  lays  its 
eggs.  In  this  work 
she  never  thinks 
of    any    children 
but  her  own.  One 
egg  in  each  plum 
makes   an    insect 
child  happy,  and  The 

possibly  a  human 

child  unhappy.  The  fruit  is  apt  to  fall  before  it 
matures,  and  a  very  small  being  out- wits  a  large 
one.  By  jarring  the  trees  over  sheets  we  may  de- 
stroy the  pests.  Chickens,  ducks,  and  pigs,  run- 
ning at  large  under  the  trees,  also  help  preserve 
the  fruit. 

8.  Away  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  lived 
the  potato-beetle  with  its  ten  black  lines  on  its 
two-winged  covers.  It  fed  on  a  kind  of  wild 
potato.  When  men  settled  Colorado,  and  planted 
the  common  potato,  these  beetles,  with  the  impu- 
dence that  belongs  to  insects,  seemed  to  think  the 
nice,  new,  tender  plant  was  grown  for  then  especial 
benefit.  So,  they  pounced  upon  the  potato-fields ; 
and,  as  they  had  more  and  better  feed,  they  greatly 
increased.  In  the  spring  their  bright-orange  eggs 
could  be  seen  glued  to  the  under  side  of  the 
potato-leaf.  Soon  came  the  larvae,  hungry  and 


120         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


ravenous.  Three  broods  in  a  year  were  brought 
forth,  and  a  single  female  would  be  mother  and 
grandmother  to  several  millions  of  offspring. 

9.  These  insect  savages  took  it  into  their  heads 
that  toward  the  rising  sun  were  vast  fields  of  the 
juicy  plant  provided  for  them,  and  they  moved 
eastward  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  miles  a  year, 
until  they  reached  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  when  some 
of  them  stole  a  passage,  in  ships  that  were  loaded 
with  potatoes,  and  visited  Europe.  Here  they 
sampled  English  and  French  potatoes.  The  busy 
men  of  science  quickly  told  us  all  about  this  enemy, 
and  how  to  kill  it ;  and  they  pointed  out  the  beau- 
tiful spotted 
lady  -  bird  and 
other  friendly 
insects  that 
are  hostile  to 
the  Colorado 
tramp. 

10.  The  peo- 
ple of  States 
west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River 
remember  too 
well  another 
unfriendly  vis- 
itor. This  is  the  Rocky  Mountain  locust  or  grass- 
hopper. Its  home  was  in  the  high  lands  of  the 
mountain  regions.  On  those  plains,  when  the 


The  Potato-Bug. 


FRUIT  AND    GRAIN  DESTROYERS.  121 

heat  of  summer  came,  the  locusts  hatched  in  num- 
bers equal  to  the  sands  of  the  desert.  Their  food 
was  the  scanty  buffalo-grass,  which  was  not  suf- 
ficient for  them.  So,  the  heat  of  July  usually 
killed  them  off.  But  should  they  get  their  wings 
before  the  heated  term  arrived,  they  rose  into  the 
air  like  a  sand-cloud  ;  and,  aided  by  the  wings  of 
the  wind,  they  were  borne  to  fruitful  areas  of  the 
cultivated  States.  They  lighted  on  the  ground. 
They  swept  away  every  green  thing  with  a  devasta- 
tion like  a  prairie-fire. 

11.  Are  insects  good   for  food?     Why  not? 
John  the  Baptist  ate  locusts  with  his  wild  honey. 
The  natives  of  the  tropics  eat  grubs  and  beetles. 
The  Chinese  eat  the  chrysalis  of  the  silk-worm. 
The   Hottentot  eats  white  ants.     Aristotle    says 
the  cicada  is  delicious.     Intelligent  Europeans  eat 
snails.     When  the  Rocky  Mountain  locusts  paid 
their  destructive  visit  to  Western  States,  in  1874, 
scientific  gentlemen  had  them  served  in  the  form 
of  soup,  roasted,  and  fried,  and  found  them  more 
delicious  than  frogs.     It  is  prejudice  alone  that 
turns  in  disgust  from  such  food.     If  we  abhor  the 
locust  as  food,  so  does   the  Arab,  who  eats  the 
locust,  abhor  our  delicious  oyster  as  food. 

12.  While  we  seek  to  know  those  insects  that 
injure  our  food-crops,  we  should  also  take  pains  to 
be  acquainted  with  those  insect  tribes  that  prey 
upon  these  robbers,  and  are,  therefore,  our  friends. 
The  most  curious  of  these,  perhaps,  is  the  ich- 


122         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


The  Ichneumon-Fly. 


neumon-fly.     Sometimes   the   butterfly's  chrysalis 
opens,  and  the  wrong  bird  bursts  forth.     Joyous 

in  its  slender 
body,  and  its 
clear  -  veined, 
lustrous,  steel- 
blue  wings,  this 
little  sprite 
comes  out  as  a 
winged  practi- 
cal joke  upon 
the  butterfly 
race,  and  many 
other  harmful 
insects. 

13.  But  how  did  it  come  to  be  in  the  chrysalis 
of  the  butterfly  ?  It  was  in  this  way :  The  ich- 
neumon-fly stung  the  caterpillar  and  deposited  its 
egg.  When  the  caterpillar  and  this  stranger  came 
into  the  golden  house  of  the  chrysalis,  the  ichneu- 
mon found  the  easiest  way  to  get  rid  of  his  bed- 
fellow was  to  eat  him  up,  which  he  proceeded  to 
do.  But  the  wonderful  feature  about  the  whole 
trick  lies  in  the  care  with  which  this  ingenious  in- 
terloper laid  its  egg  in  the  caterpillar.  It  was 
shrewd  enough  not  to  touch  the  vital  organs,  so 
that  the  caterpillar  might  live  sufficiently  long  to 
get  into  the  chrysalis,  when  it  would  serve  as  food 
to  nourish  the  young  bright  ichneumon. 


SPINNERS  OF  HOUSE  AND   GARDEN.          123 

CHAPTER    XIX. 
SPINNERS   OF    HOUSE    AND    GARDEN. 

1.  WALTER'S  fingers  are  to  him  what  the  an- 
tennae are  to  the  insect.     They  are  his  feelers,  and 
by  them  he  tries  nearly  everything  that  is  new 
or  strange.     When   he  was  very   small,  he  first 
tested  a  thing  with  his  fingers,  and  then,  if  not 
prevented,  put  it  into  his  mouth.     He  was  never 
satisfied  unless  he  could  prove  things  by  his  sense 
of  taste.     In  this  way  he  would  have  swallowed 
buttons,    marbles,   little   stones,    flies,    and    even 
spiders,  had  he  not  been  restrained.     But  now  he 
is  contented  to  investigate  with  his  hands   and 
eyes ;  though  his  experience  has  taught  him  that, 
in  working  about  insects,  it  is  best  to  extend  his 
antennae  by  a  stick.     So,  he  pokes  with  his  stick, 
and,  if  it  is  attacked,  he  can  easily 

drop  it  and  take  to  his  legs. 

2.  Walter   has  been  deeply  in- 
terested in  spiders.     The  fact  that 
they  can  not  fly  faster  than  he  can 
run,  as  is  the  case  with  some  other  f 
animals  of  his  acquaintance,  has  giv- 
en him  boldness  in  the  use  of  his 
stick.     He  has  probed  several  webs 
and  nests  of  spiders  rather  roughly, 
and  has  found  for  himself  that  the 

common  house-spider  is  harmless  ;  that  she  stretches 


124:         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

her  web  across  the  corner  of  the  room,  or  over  a 
window-casing,  and  attaches  to  it  a  nice  little  silken 
house  for  herself,  in  which  she  sits  and  watches. 
He  has  also  observed  that  the  web  of  the  spider 
is  intended  to  catch  flies;  and  that  flies  are  the 
principal  food  of  the  spider.  Indeed,  he  has,  with 
great  joy,  seen  the  spider  come  out  of  her  little 
den  and  drag  away  a  fly  unfortunately  caught  in 
this  trap. 

3.  Walter's  mother,  who  believes  that  a  child 
may  learn  many  things  at  home  as  well  as  at 
school,  has  encouraged  his  discoveries.  She  sug- 
gested to  him  not  to  break  up  the  web  of  the  spi- 
der with  his  stick,  but  to  touch  it  gently.  This 
he  has  done,  with  the  most  gratifying  results. 
The  slightest  motion  of  the  web  by  the  touch  of 
the  stick  brings  the  spider  from  her  den,  and  she 
sometimes  lets  herself  down  by  a  silk  thread. 
Then,  when  the  stick  threatens  her, 
she  climbs  up  by  the  same  web  ;  but, 
when  Walter  looks  for  the  web,  it 
can  not  be  found. 

4.  He  has  discovered  with  de- 
light the  fairy  wheel  of  the  garden- 
spider,  stretched  across  a  window,  or 
between  two  bushes,  so  as  to  catch 

The  Field-Spider.    ^8  On  the  wlllg-       He  haS.  Seen    tMs 

same  garden-spider  trudging  along 
with  a  white  ball  under  her  body.  Walking  in 
the  street,  on  a  bright  autumn  morning,  he  has 


SPINNERS  OF  HOUSE  AND   GARDEN.          125 

passed  through  a  multitude  of  spider-threads,  as  if 
the  little  rascals  who  placed  them  there  thought 
they  could  block  up  the  way.  Everywhere  he 
looks  for  spiders'  webs,  and  nearly  everywhere  he 
finds  them.  They  are  in  the  house,  in  spite  of 
brooms  and  brashes,  in  the  sheds  and  stables,  on 
bushes,  and  trees,  and  fences. 

5.  Seeing  all  these  things,  Walter's  eyes  have 
laid  eggs  of  thought  away  in  his  mind,  which  have 
hatched  a  brood  of  lively  questions  that  he  has 
turned  loose  upon   his   patient   mother  to   feed. 
Much  diligence  has  been  employed  to  gratify  this 
hungry  crowd   of    questions.     To    satisfy    them, 
Walter's  teacher  has  assisted  his  mother,  and  they 
have  gathered  good  things 

from  cyclopaedias  and  oth- 
er books,  some  of  which 
are  here  given  for  the  ben- 
efit of  Walter's  friends. 

6.  The  spider  is  not  a 
true    insect  ;    it    appears 
more  like  a  crab.     An  in- 
sect has  three  parts  in  its 
body,  and  six  legs.     The 
spider  has  but  two  parts ; 
the  head  and  thorax  are 
one  part,  and  the  abdomen 

¥  The  Wolf -Spider. 

is  the  other.     It  has  a  soft 

outside  of  hair  or  fur.     The  jaws,  as  seen  under 

the    microscope,   are  savage-looking    instruments. 


126         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

They  are  like  fangs.  They  curve  in,  and  are  edged 
with  fine,  sharp  teeth,  while  through  them  run 
tubes  that  convey  poison,  stored  away  in  the  head, 
to  the  object  they  bite.  All  this  is  for  catching 
and  killing  their  prey ;  for  spiders  are  carnivorous, 
and  live  on  other  insects,  or,  when  they  quarrel, 
devour  one  another. 

7.  The  spider  has  six  or  eight  eyes,  set  in  the 
back  of  its  head.  In  those  who  work  by  night, 
these  eyes  are  large  and  lustrous,  like  cat's  eyes. 
It  has  eight  legs,  and  it  feels  with  its  feet  as  well 
as  with  its  lower  jaws.  The  reason  why  its  feet 
are  so  many  is,  that  its  weight  may  be  so  dis- 
tributed that  it  will  not  bear  heavily  on  any  one 
point  of  the  filmy  web  over  which  it  treads. 
There  are  seven  joints  in  the  foot,  and  the  spider 


Claw  of  the  Spider  magnified. 


does  not  mind  losing  a  part  of  a  foot,  since  another 
will  soon  grow.  The  feet  have  each  from  one  to 
four  claws,  and  are  of  great  use  in  spinning  and 
fastening  the  web.  The  female  spider  is  larger 
than  the  male.  Sometimes  she  grows  angry  at  her 


SPINNERS  OF  HOUSE  AND   GARDEN.          127 

little  mate,  gives  him  a  sound  drubbing,  and  then 
usually  eats  him  up. 

8.  The  spider  does  not  pass  through  the  four 
changes  of  true  insects,  but  from  time  to  time  it 
changes  its  outside  covering.     The  female  raises 
but  one  brood  in  the  year.     Her  eggs  are  wrapped 
in  a  small  silken  cocoon.     And  this  is  what  Walter 
saw  the  garden-spider  carrying.     When  the  eggs 
are  about  to  hatch,  the  mother  opens  the  sac  and 
helps  the  little  ones  out.     In  most  cases  they  take 
care  of  themselves  and  go  straightway  to  spining 
webs ;  though,  in  some  varieties,  they  ride  about 
for  a  while  on  the  body  of  their  mother.     Spiders 
are  neat  in   their  habits,  and  often  preen  their 
dress  with  the  fine  combs  attached  to  their  jaws. 
Though  they  are   severe   with  their   prey,   they 
rarely   injure   human   beings,    and    their   bite   is 
scarcely  more   poisonous  than  that  of    the  mos- 
quito. 

9.  The  web  of  the  spider  is  its  great  wonder, 
and  Walter's  mind  has  long  and  earnestly  wrestled 
with  the    question,  "  How  is  it  made  ? "     In  the 
back  part  of  her  body  she  carries  a  glutinous  sub- 
stance, which  hardens  into  a  strong  fiber  as  soon 
as  it  is  exposed  to  the  air.     Then  from  the  lower 
side  of  this  part  of  the  body  there  run  out  very 
small  fingers,  or  spinners,  that  catch  the  glutinous 
fluid  from  little  tubes,  and  work  several  strands 
into  one  web.     The  spider  can  start  or  stop  the 
spinning  whenever  she  chooses. 


128         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


10.  A  single  fiber  that  conies  from  one  of  the 
tubes,  though  almost  invisible,  is  composed  of 
hundreds  of  fine  fibers.  This  makes  the  com- 
pound-thread strong.  It  is  also  elastic,  like  India 
rubber.  There  are  spiders,  no  larger  than  a 
grain  of  sand,  who  spin  cords  of  which  it  would 
take  millions  to  make  the  thickness  of  a  single 
hair  of  its  beard.  The  spinning  is  done  too 
rapidly  for  the  eye  to  follow.  When  a  spider 
comes  down  from  the  ceiling,  it  descends  head 
first.  If  stopped  before  it  reaches  the  floor,  it 
returns  head  first,  and  rolls  the  web  into  a  ball  as 
it  ascends.  This  is  why  Walter  could  not  find 
the  web.  Spiders  are  economical  of  their  webs. 
The  out-of-door  spiders  need  to  spin  a  new  web 

nearly  every  day.  If 
they  perceive  a  storm 
coming,  they  do  not 
spin,  lest  their  work 
be  destroyed.  When 
they  are  at  work, 
therefore,  there  is 
promise  of  fine 
weather. 

11.  The  garden 
or  geometric  spider 
is  a  wonderful  little 

w*  of  the  Garden-spider.  engineer.      Between 

two       bushes      she 
stretches  strong  lines  a  few  inches  apart.     Con- 


SPIDER    WAYS  AND  SPIDER  STORIES.         129 

necting  these,  she  runs  cross-lines  for  the  spokes 
of  her  wheel,  pulling  each  with  her  foot,  after  the 
ends  are  fastened,  to  see  if  it  is  strong  and  light. 
She  then  carries  her  spiral  lines  round  and  round, 
uniting  the  twenty  spokes  of  the  wheel,  and  mak- 
ing a  strong  snare  for  her  prey,  as  well  as  a  nice 
floor  for  her  eight  feet  to  trip  across.  Over  all 
she  scatters  minute  globules  of  sticky  substance, 
to  aid  in  holding  the  feet  of  unwary  flies.  Why 
does  she  build  in  the  form  of  a  wheel  ?  Because 
at  the  center  of  the  wheel  she  can  feel  every  part 
of  the  snare  through  the  spokes.  Then,  from  this 
center,  she  carries  a  telegraph-line  to  her  watch- 
tower  a  short  distance  from  the  wheel. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

SPIDER    WAYS   AND    SPIDER    STORIES. 

1.  THE  spinners,  weavers,  and  builders  of  silk 
snares  are  of  many  varieties.  The  house-spider 
sits  in  a  silken  tube  at  the  top  of  her  net,  waiting 
for  some  foolish  fly  to  touch  the  floor  of  her  pretty 
parlor.  The  tree-spider,  from  an  outer  branch, 
throws  out  a  silk  line,  which  a  kind  breeze  carries 
and  fastens  to  the  next  tree,  when  she  proudly 
crosses,  like  a  tight-rope  walker.  The  jumping- 
spider  fixes  the  end  of  its  web,  then  leaps  for  a  fly, 
and  climbs  backward  by  the  thread  which  it  spun 


130         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS, 

as  it  leaped.  The  little  fellows  tliat  try  to  ob- 
struct the  street  fasten  the  ends  of  their  tiny 
cables  to  the  fence,  wait  for  a  favorable  breeze, 
spring  into  the  air,  and  are  carried  by  the  fingers 
of  the  wind  to  the  other  side. 

2.  A  Texas  spider  weaves  a  filmy  balloon,  six 
feet  long  and  two  feet  wide,  which  she  fastens  to 
a  tree  by  a  single  thread,  and  then  flings  to  the 
wind.  She  walks  on 
board  with  a  half-dozen 
little  ones,  cuts  the 
thread,  and  away  goes 
the  air-ship  to  some  dis- 


tant point  on  the 
prairie.  The  great 
spider  of  the  South- 
ern States,  from  one 
and  a  half  to  three 
inches  long,  is  called 


SPIDER    WAYS  AND  SPIDER  STORIES. 


131 


a  tarantula,  from  Taranto,  in  Italy,  where  its  kind 
abound.  It  is  a  wolf-spider,  lives  in  the  ground, 
but  spins  no  web.  It  carries  its  young  on  its  back. 
This  animal  appears  more  formidable  than  it  really 
is.  It  is  not  disposed  to  attack,  and  its  bite  sel- 
dom leaves  serious  injury. 

3.  The  large  crab-spiders  of  South  America 
make  their  gossamer  snares 
so  strong  that  they  hold 


torn  of  the  tube. 


Nest- Building  Tarantula. 

the  feet  of  a  humming-bird. 
In  California  is  the  trap-door 
|    spider.     It  makes  a  tube  in 
%,  the  ground,  silk  lined,  and 
closed  at  the  top  by  a  door 
that  springs  shut  by  an  elas- 
tic web.     With  this  tube  is 
connected  a  web,  spreading 
over  the  ground  above.   The 
spider  sits  safely  at  the  bot- 
If  she  is  alarmed,  she  fastens 


132         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

her  claws  into  the  door  and  holds  it  down,  bracing 
herself  against  the  walls  of  the  hole.  Beetles  that 
are  caught  in  the  outside  net  are  taken  into  this 
underground  dining-room,  their  soft  parts  eaten, 
and  the  shells  again  thrown  out. 

4.  Another,  a  nest-building  tarantula,  erects  a 
tower  over  its  tube  in  the  ground.     This  tower  is 
built  precisely  like  the  log-cabin  of  a  woodsman, 
or  like  a  child's  cob-house.     Spiders  are  met  with 
in  the  forests  of  Java  whose  webs  are  so  strong 
that  it  requires  a  knife  to  cut  through  them.     And 
an  account  is  given  of  the  capture  of  a  live  snake 
by  spiders.     The  snake  was  suspended  by  its  tail 
in  a  web,  the  tail  being  tied  in  a  knot.     Three 
spinners  were  engaged  in  the  feat,  and  they  spun  a 
large  cord  to  connect  the  snake  with  the  center  of 
the  wreb,  securing  the  mouth  of   the  reptile  by 
winding  strong  threads  about  its  mouth. 

5.  Down  under  the  surface   of  a  pond,  fast- 
ened to  the  roots  of  some  water-plant,  the  water- 
spider  weaves  a  tight  silken  dome  for  her  house, 
from    which   she    drives    out    the   water  by  air- 
bubbles,  which  she  shakes  from  her  body.     From 
her  comes  the  idea  of  the  diving-bell,  with  which 
men  explore  deep  waters  for  lost  treasure.     The 
silk  of  spiders  is  of  finer  quality  than  that  of  the 
silk-worm.     Many  years  ago,  in  France,  stockings 
and  mittens  were  made  of    spiders'  silk.     These 
animals  can  live  for  months  without  food.     Spi- 
ders may  be  tamed.     A  Frenchman  once  tamed 


SPIDER    WAYS  AND  SPIDER  STORIES. 


133 


Water-Spiders. 

eight  hundred  of  them.     With  some,  spiders  have 
been  esteemed  and  loved  as  pets. 

6.  Spiders  are  themselves  affectionate.  Those 
who  carry  the  egg-sac  with  them  for  safety,  also 
bear  the  young,  after  they  are  hatched,  on  their 
backs.  It  is  said  that  when  the  parents  become 
too  old  to  care  for  themselves,  their  young  feed 
and  shelter  them.  Spiders  are  fond  of  music.  A 
foreign  prisoner,  during  his  confinement,  found 
comfort  in  the  society  of  a  pet  spider,  who  was 
taught  to  come  regularly,  for  its  meal  of  flies,  at 
the  sound  of  a  musical  instrument.  They  prefer 


134         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

the  softer  strains  of  music.  During  concerts  they 
have  been  seen  to  let  themselves  down  from  the 
ceiling  and  to  pause  while  gentle  strains  were 
played ;  but  when  heavier  music  began  they 
climbed  back  again. 

7.  The  music  of  the  tuning-fork,  because  it  is 
so  good  an  imitation  of   the  hum  of  the  fly,  is 
pleasing  to  the  spider,  as  is  shown  by  a  sketch  in 
the  "  St.  Nicholas  " :  "  Now  I  can  play  a  tuning- 
fork  as  well  as  anybody.     I  procured  one,  and 
then  sought  out  a  spider.     I  found  a  handsome, 
brand-new  web,  and,  though  I  did  not  see  Mistress 
Epeira,  I  knew  she  must  be  at  home.     Epeira 
diadema  is  her  full  name,  though   most   persons 
call  her  garden-spider. 

8.  "As  I  have  said,  Madam  Spider  was  not 
visible.      I   knew,  however,    she  must  be  in  her 
gossamer  parlor,  which  is    attached  to  her  web. 
Here  was  a  good  opportunity  to  try  tuning-fork 
music.     I  rapped  the  fork  on  a  stone,  and,  in  a 
moment,  a  soft,  melodious  hum  filled  the  air.     I 
touched  one  of  the  spokes  of  the  web  with  the 
fork.     On   the    instant   madam  flew  out   of   her 
parlor  in  great  haste,  hesitated  a  moment  at  the 
outer  edge  of  the  web,  and  then,  instead  of  going 
straight  to  the  tuning-fork,  ran  to  the  very  center 
of  the  web. 

9.  "  When  there,  she  caught  hold  of  each  of 
the  spokes,  one  after  the  other,  and  gave  it  a  little 
tug,  as  a  boy  does  a  fishing-line,  to  see  if  a  fish  is 


SPIDER    WAYS  AND  SPIDER  STORIES.         135 

hooked.  Each  was  passed  by  until  she  came  to 
the  spoke  upon  which  the  tuning-fork  rested. 
Then  she  stopped,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  she  was 
excited.  She  gave  the  web  a  shake,  then  tugged 
at  the  spoke  again.  Hum-m-m-m,  still  sang  the 
fork,  rather  faintly  now,  however.  Madam  was 
satisfied.  Her  mind  was  made  up.  Down  she 
darted,  and  caught  the  end  of  the  fork  in  her 
arms.  She  tried  to  bite  into  the  hard  metal,  and 
at  the  same  time  she  spun  a  web  of  silk  around 
and  around  the  two  prongs,  which,  by  this  time, 
had  ceased  vibrating. 

10.  u  I  pulled  the  fork  away,  and  Madam  Epei- 
ra  retired  in  disappointment  to  the  center  of  the 
web.  Unfortunately,  it  was  altogether  too  prob- 
able that  she  mistook  the  hum  of  the  fork  for  the 
buzz  of  a  fly — a  sort  of  music,  no  doubt,  very 
sweet  to  her.  Time  after  time  I  repeated  the  ex- 
periment with  the  fork,  touching  in  turn  each  spoke 
of  the  web,  and  each  time  Madam  Spider  was  de- 
luded into  trying  to  capture  the  tuning-fork.  It 
was  odd  that  she  did  not  learn  wisdom  by  her 
disappointment." 


136         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER     XXI. 
LOCUSTS   IN   THE   EAST. 

1.  AN  Eastern  summer  is  full  of  wonders ;  but 
there  is,  perhaps,  nothing  about  it  more  awfully 
appalling  than  those  flights  of  locusts  which  some- 
times destroy  the  vegetation  of  whole  kingdoms 
in  a  few  days,  and  where  they  found  a  garden 
leave  a  wilderness. 

2.  I  am  riding  along  a  pleasant  hill-side,  on  the 
island  of  Mytilene,  toward  the  end  of  May.   There 
is  a  sharp,  pattering  noise,  like  that  of  April  rain 
falling  on  hard  ground.    I  look  attentively  toward 
the  earth,  knowing  that  it  can  not  be  a  shower 
this  clear,  balmy  morning,  and  I  see  a  countless 
multitude  of  little  black  insects  not  much  larger 
than  a  pin's  head.     They  are  hopping  and  spring- 
ing about  in  myriads,  under  my  horse's  feet ;  along 
the  hard,  stony  road,  which  is  quite  black  with 
them ;  and  far  away  in  the  fields,  which  are  turned 
quite  black  also.     I  ride  miles  and  miles,  yet  the 
ground  is  still  darkened  with  these  little  insects, 
and   the   same   sharp,  pattering  noise    continues. 
They  are  the  young  of  the  locusts,  who  left  their 
eggs  in  the  ground  last  year.    They  have  just  come 
to  life.     Three  days  ago  there  was  not  one  to  be 
seen. 

3.  A  little  later  I  am  passing  through  a  Greek 
village.     The  alarm  has  spread  everywhere,  and 


LOCUSTS  IN  THE  EAST.  137 

the  local  authorities  have  bestirred  themselves  to 
resist  their  enemies  while  still  weak.  Large  fires 
are  burning  by  the  river-side,  and  immense  caldrons 
of  boiling  water  are  steaming  over  them.  The 
whole  country-side  has  been  out  locust-hunting. 
They  have  just  returned  with  the  result  of  their 
day's  exertion.  Twenty-three  thousand  pounds' 
weight  of  these  little  insects,  each,  as  I  have  said, 
no  bigger  than  a  pin's  head,  have  been  brought  in 
already  in  one  day ! 

4.  They  have  been  caught  in  a  surface  of  less 
than  five  square  miles.     There  has  been  no  diffi- 
culty in  catching  them.     Children  of  six  years  can 
do  it  as  well  as  grown  men.     A  sack  and  a  broom 
are  all  that   is  necessary.     Place   the  open  sack 
upon  the  ground,  and  you  can  sweep  it  full  of  lo- 
custs as  fast  as  you  can  move  your  arms.     The 
village  community  pay  about  a  half-cent  a  pound 
for  locusts.    Some  of  the  hunters  have  earned  from 
fifty  to  seventy-five  cents  a  day.     As  the  sacks  are 
brought   in,  they  are  thrust  into  the  caldrons  of 
boiling  water,  and   boiled   each  for  some  twenty 
minutes.     They  are  then  emptied  into  the  rapid 
little  river,  swollen  by  the  melting  of  mountain 
snows. 

5.  My  Albanian,  Hamed,  watches  these  pro- 
ceedings from  his  embroidered  scarlet  saddle  with 
much  melancholy   gravity.     "  Ah  ! "  he  says,   "  if 
there  was   but  one  dervish  or  good  man  among 
these  rogues,  he  could  pray  them  away  in  an  hour. 


138         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

There   are  no  locusts   in  my  village,  because  we 
have  a  dervish,  a  saintly  man,  there." 

6.  It  appears  that  no  dervish  comes,  and  the 
plague  goes   on  spreading  daily  from   village  to 
village,  from  town  to  town.     This  is  the  fourth 
year  since  they  appeared  at  My tilene,  whence  I  am 
writing.     It  is  said  that  they  seldom  remain  at  one 
place  much  longer,  but  that,  in  the  fourth  genera- 
tion, the  race  dies  out  unless  recruited  elsewhere. 
They  show  now,  however,  no  symptom  of  weak- 
ness or  diminution  of  numbers.     In  ten  days  they 
have  increased  very  much  in  size  ;  they  are  now  as 
long  as  cock-chafers,  only  fatter. 

7.  They  seem  to  be  of  several  distinct  species. 
Their  bodies  are  about  an  inch  and  a  half  long, 
but  some  are  much  larger  than  others.     They  have 
six  legs.     The  hind-legs  of  the  largest  kind  are 
nearly  three  inches  long,  or  twice  the  length  of  the 
body.      They    have    immense   strength,  and   can 
spring  four  or  five  yards  at  a  time.     The  legs  are 
terminated  by  sharp,  long  claws,  and  have  lesser 
claws   going   about  half-way  up  at  the  sides  of 
them  ;  their  hold  is  very  tenacious.     Their  heads 
and  shoulders  are  covered  with  a  kind  of  homy 
armor,  very  tough.     Some  are  of  a  bright-green 
color  all  over,  some  have  brown  backs  and  yellow 
bellies  with  red  legs,  and  are  speckled  not  unlike 
the  partridge.     Some  are  nearly  black  all  over,  and 
have  long  wings. 

8.  The   largest  species  have  immensely  long 


LOCUSTS  IN  THE  EAST.  139 

feelers  projecting  out  near  the  eyes.  I  noticed 
some  of  these  feelers  twice  the  length  of  the  body. 
This  locust  has  immense,  sharp  tusks,  furnished 
with  saws  inside.  His  mouth  opens  on  all  four 
sides  and  closes  like  a  vise.  His  bite  is  strong 
enough  to  bend  a  pin.  His  eyes  are  horny,  and 
he  can  not  shut  them.  He  has  two  short,  yellow 
wings,  and  a  long,  pointed,  fleshy  tail.  The  head  is 
large  in  comparison  to  the  body,  and  is  not  unlike 
that  of  a  lobster.  In  moving,  his  scales  make  a 
noise  like  the  creaking  of  new  leather. 

9.  The  locusts  are  on  the  wing ;  they  have  risen 
from  the  ground  into  the  air;   they  darken  the 
sky  in  their  steady  flight  for  hours,  and  they  make 
a  noise  like  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind.     Far 
as  the  eye  can  see,  over  land  and  water,  broods 
the  same  ominous  cloud.    The  imagination  refuses 
to  grasp  their  number.     It  must  be  counted  by 
millions  of  millions.     Count  the  flakes  of  a  snow- 
storm, the  sands  by  the  sea-shore,  the  leaves  of 
summer  trees,  and  the  blades  of  grass  on  dewy 
meadows.    For  days  and  days  the  locust-storm  and 
the  hot  south  wind  continue. 

10.  At  night  the  locusts  descend  on  the  gar- 
dens and  corn-fields ;   they  struggle  for  pre-emi- 
nence on  the  points  of  palings,  and  the  topmost 
overlooks  the  rest  with  great  gravity ;  they  crawl 
and  hop  on  fruit  and  flower ;  they  get  into  the 
dishes  of  eggs  and  fish,  which  become  uneatable 
in  consequence.     There  is  no  help  against  them 


140         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

because  of  their  multitude.  They  eat  holes  in  my 
bedding ;  they  get  into  my  pockets,  and  into  my 
hair  and  beard.  You  tread  upon  them  ;  they  blow 
against  you ;  they  fly  against  you ;  they  dine  on 
the  same  plates,  and  hop  on  a  piece  of  food  you 
are  putting  into  your  mouth.  And  this  continues 
for  weeks. 

11.  So  they  ate  up  the  corn  lands  and  the  vine- 
yards wheresoever  they  fell.     I  counted  nine  on 
one  blade  of  wheat.     When  they  left  it,  it  was  as 
bare  as  a  quill.      "  They  have  left   your  apples 
untouched,"  I  said  to  a  gardener.     "  Alas ! "  re- 
plied the  man,  "  they  have  eaten  up  all  besides ; 
and  what  is  the  use  of  your  eyebrows  if  you  have 
lost  your  eyes  ?  "   Three  days  after,  they  had  eaten 
his  apples  too. 

12.  They  are  a  dreadful  visitation.     They  ate 
holes  in  my  clothing  as  I  walked  about ;  they  got 
among  Hamed's  arms ;  they  choked  up  the  barrels 
of  his  pistols,  and  fed  upon  his  sash  of  silk  and 
gold ;  they  ate  away  the  tassel  of  his  cap  and  the 
leathern  sheath  of  his  sword.     My  French  dress- 
ing-gown might  have  been  taken  for  a  recent  pur- 
chase at  Rag  Fair ;  they  ate  the  sole  of  my  slipper 
while  I  was  asleep  on  the  sofa ;  they  ate  my  shirts 
in  the  wardrobe,  and  my  stockings  on  the  floor. 
The  pasha,  my  host,  with  a  touching  faith  in  the 
goodness  of  God,  goes  about  with  a  long  stick,  to 
save  them  from  drowning  when  they  hop  into  his 
reservoir  of  gold-fish. 


LOCUSTS  IN  THE  EAST.  141 

13.  Perhaps  the  pasha  is  right ;  but  I  can  not 
be  so  good  as  he  is — for  the  locusts  eat  the  back 
hair   off  women's    heads    while   washing   at   the 
fountain,  and  the    mustaches    off   gardeners'  lips 
while  they  sleep  in  the  noonday  shadow.     They 
strip   trees   till   they  look  as 'if  struck  by  light- 
ning or  burned  by  fire.     I  see  the  plants  green 
and  gay  in  the .  moonlight ;  in  the  morning  their 
freshness  and   beauty  have   departed.      Families 
everywhere   sit   wailing   over  the   ruin   of   their 
little  all. 

14.  The   cadi   had   a   little   garden;    he   had 
watched  it  night  and  day,  for  it  was  his  pride,  and 
was  full  of  far-away  flowers.     He  kept  fires  sur- 
rounding it,  to  prevent  the  locusts  from  crawling 
in.     When  they  had  learned  to  fly,  he  fired  guns 
to  turn  aside  their  course.     When  they  came,  in 
spite  of  his  precautions,  he  turned  a  garden-engine 
upon   them.     Then   he  buried  them;   but  every 
green  thing  and  every  blossom  were  stripped  from 
his  garden  for  all  that. 

15.  Nothing  will  kill  them  but  smashing  or 
boiling  them.    There  is  no  protection  against  them. 
They  eat  through  the  thickest  cloths,  or  sacking, 
or  matting ;  and  glass  coverings  for  a  large  extent 
of  ground  would,  of  course,  be  too  expensive.   The 
only  way  in  which  one  of  my  neighbors  was  en- 
abled to  save  part  of  his  harvest  was  by  gather- 
ing his  fruits  and  cutting  down  his  corn  when  the 
locusts  came,  and  then  burying  his  property  in 


142         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

holes  dug  in  the  ground  and  covered  over  with  a 
heavy  stone  at  the  aperture,  as  I  have  seen  the 
peasantry  do  in  some  parts  of  Western  Africa. 
This  saved  him  a  little.  No  barn  or  room  would 
have  done  so. 

16.  Yet  another  three  weeks,  toward  the  end 
of  July,  and  the  cloud  which  has  hovered  over  the 
land  so  long  is  clearing  away ;  and  there  arises  a 
great  wind,  so  that  locusts  are  swept  off  in  count- 
less armies  to  the  sea,  and  so  drowned.  It  is  im- 
possible to  bathe  for  days,  or  to  walk  by  the  sea- 
shore, because  of  the  stench  of  them.  But  they 
are  gone,  and  their  bodies  float  over  the  sea  like 
a  crust,  extending  to  the  opposite  coast  of  Asia 
Minor. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 
THE    BIRDS   MUST   KNOW. 

THE  birds  must  know.     Who  wisely  sings. 
Will  sing  as  they ; 

The  common  air  has  generous  wings- 
Songs  make  their  way. 

No  messenger  to  run  before, 
Devising  plan ; 

No  mention  of  the  place  and  hour 
To  any  man ; 

No  waiting  till  some  sound  betrays 
A  listening  ear ; 


THE  BIRDS  MUST  KNOW. 

No  different  voice,  no  new  delays 
If  steps  draw  near. 


143 


The  Mocking-Bird. 

2.  "  What  bird  is  that  ?     Its  song  is  good  ! " 

And  eager  eyes 
Go  peering  through  the  dusky  wood, 

In  glad  surprise. 
Then  late  at  night,  when  by  his  fire 

The  traveler  sits, 
Watching  the  flame  grow  brighter,  higher, 

The  sweet  song  flits 
By  snatches  through  his  weary  brain 

To  help  him  rest. 
When  next  he  goes  that  road  again, 

An  empty  nest 
On  leafless  bough  will  make  him  sigh  : 

"Ah  me  !  last  spring 


144         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

Just  here  I  heard,  in  passing  by, 
That  rare  bird  sing  ! " 

3.  But  while  he  sighs,  remembering 
How  sweet  the  song, 

The  little  bird  on  tireless  wing 
Is  borne  along 

In  other  air ;  and  other  men 
With  weary  feet, 

On  other  roads,  the  simple  strain 
Are  finding  sweet. 

The  birds  must  know.     Who  wisely  sings, 
Will  sing  as  they ; 

The  common  air  has  generous  wings- 
Songs  make  their  wray. 

H.  H. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 
TIGERS  OF   COPSE  AND   HEDGE. 

1.  THE  weasel  and  its  relations,  the  marten, 
the  skunk,  the  ermine,  the  ferret,  and  the  otter, 
belong  to  that  class  of  carnivorous  animals  which, 
on  account  of  their  long,  thin,  worm-like  bodies, 
are  called  vermin.  They  have  the  teeth  peculiar 
to  flesh-eaters,  and  most  of  them  are  unpleasantly 
familiar  from  the  depredations  they  commit  about 
the  poultry-yard.  On  the  other  hand,  they  prove 
themselves  useful  in  exterminating  the  more 


TIGERS  OF  COPSE  AND  HEDGE.  145 

troublesome  pests  of  the  house  and  farm.  The  fur 
furnished  by  their  skins  has  for  a  long  time  been 
an  important  article  of  commerce  and  of  domestic 
use. 

2.  The  pine-marten,  or  American  sable,  is  not 
a  mischief-maker  about  the  habitations  of  men  and 
domestic  animals,  although  it  belongs  to  the  wea- 
sel family.     It  is  found  and  hunted  for  its  supe- 
rior fur,  and  abounds  in  its  best  conditions  in  the 
far  north,  where  it  inhabits  the  pine-woods,  and 
seeks  its  prey  chiefly  on  the  branches  of  trees.    The 
color  of  its  body  is  orange-brown,  and  its  legs  and 
tail  are  nearly  pure  black. 

3.  "  The  weasel  is  about  eight  and  a  quarter 


The  Common  European  Weasel. 

length,  inches  in  not  including  the  tail,  which  is 
about  two  inches  more.  The  fur  is  soft,  of  a  red- 
dish brown  on  the  back,  head,  and  tail,  but  quite 
white  on  the  throat  and  under  part,  The  limbs  are 
short  and  hairy  to  the  extremities  of  the  toes.  Of 
the  advantages  accruing  from  the  great  flexibility 
of  body  possessed  by  the  weasel  when  attacked 


146         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

by  superior  enemies,  Mr.  Bell  gives  the  following 
illustration : 

4.  " l  A  gentleman  riding  over  his  grounds  saw, 
at  a  short  distance  before  him,  a  kite  pounce  on 
some  object  on  the  ground,  and  rise  with  it  in  its 
talons.     In  a  few  moments,  however,  the  kite  be- 
gan to  show  signs  of  great  uneasiness,  rising  rap- 
idly into  the  air,  or  as  quickly  falling,  while  it 
was  evidently  endeavoring  to  force  some  obnox- 
ious thing  from  it  with  its  feet.    After  a  short  but 
sharp  contest,  the  kite  fell  suddenly  to  the  earth, 
and  a  weasel  ran  away,  apparently  unhurt,  leav- 
ing the  bird  dead,  with  a  hole  eaten  through  under 
the  wing,  and  the  large  blood-vessels  of  the  part 
torn  through.' 

5.  "When  a  weasel  enters  a  poultry-yard,  it 
does  not  attack  the  cocks  or  old  hens,  but  selects 
the  chickens,  kills  them  by  a  single  wound  on  the 
head,  and  carries  them  off  one  after  the  other ;  it 
also  breaks  eggs  and  sucks  them  with  incredible 
avidity.     In  winter  it  usually  lives  in  granaries 
and  barns,  often  remaining  there  in  the  spring  to 
hide  its  young  among  the  hay  and  straw.     Dur- 
ing this  time  it  makes  more  successful  war  than 
the  cat  against  rats  and  mice,  because  they  can  not 
escape  it,  as  it  enters  their  holes  after  them.     It 
climbs  and  takes  pigeons,  and  kills  sparrows  and 
other  small  animals 

6.  "  In  summer  it  goes  to  some  distance  from 
dwelling-houses,  and  is  found  more  especially  in 


TIGERS  OF  COPSE  AND  HEDGE.  147 

low  ground  about  mills,  and  along  streams  and  riv- 
ers, hiding  in  the  bushes  to  catch  birds,  and  often 
takes  up  its  abode  in  the  hollow  of  an  old  willow 
to  prepare  for  its  little  ones,  making  a  bed  of  grass, 
straw,  leaves,  and  fibrous  plants.  It  produces  its 
young  in  spring ;  sometimes  three,  usually  four  or 
five  in  number.  The  young  ones  are  born  blind, 
as  are  those  of  the  skunk,  marten,  and  stoat.  In 
a  short  time,  however,  they  become  large  and 
strong  enough  to  go  hunting  with  their  mother. 

7.  "A  French  lady  described  to  Buffon  her 
tame  weasel  as  playing  with  her  fingers  like  a  kit- 
ten, jumping  on  her  head  and  neck ;  and  if  she 
presented  her  hands  at  the  distance  of  three  feet, 
it  jumped  into  them  without  missing.     It  distin- 
guished her  voice  amid  twenty  people,  and  sprang 
over  everybody  to  get  at  her.     She  found  it  im- 
possible to  open  a  drawer  or  a  box,  or  even  to 
look  at  a  paper,  without  the  weasel  examining 
it  also.     If  she  took  up  a  book  or  a  paper,  and 
looked  attentively  at  it,  the  weasel  immediately 
ran  upon  her  hand  and  surveyed  with  an  inquisi- 
tive air  whatever  she  happened  to  hold. 

8.  "  The  ermine  is  very  nearly  related  to  the 
weasel.     Its  length  is  about  nine  inches,  exclusive 
of  the  tail.    Its  color  in  the  summer-time  is  a  beau- 
tiful brown  above  and  yellowish  white  beneath, 
while  the  tip  of  the  tail  is  black.     In  this  condi- 
tion it  is  called  a  roselet ;  but  in  winter  the  fur 
assumes  a  white  color,  and  is  then  highly  prized ; 


148         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

the  black  end  of  its  tail,  however,  remains  unal- 
tered.    These  beautiful  animals  are  met  with  in 


The  Ermine  in  Winter  Dress. 

the  northern  regions  both  of  Europe  and  America, 
where  they  are  very  destructive  to  small  quadru- 
peds and  birds,  living  indiscriminately  upon  rats, 
pigeons,  or  putrid  meat ;  they  are  likewise  said  to 
be  fond  of  eggs,  and  have  been  seen  pursuing  a 
young  hare  by  the  scent,  tracking  it  with  as  much 
precision  as  a  harrier.  The  change  of  color  on  the 
approach  of  winter,  so  conspicuous  in  the  ermine, 
is  common  to  many  animals,  birds  as  well  as  quad- 
rupeds. 

9.  "  On  the  unbroken  snows  of  Siberia  it  would, 
in  its  summer  hue,  be  conspicuously  visible,  and 
completely  at  the  mercy  of  its  enemies ;  whereas, 
in  its  winter  garb  of  pure  white,  it  is  hidden  from 
observation.  Concealment,  therefore,  is  one  object 


TIGERS  OF  COPSE  AND  HEDGE.  149 

attained  by  the  change.  This,  however,  as  Pro- 
fessor Bell  well  remarks,  is  not  the  only  advantage 
gained  by  the  assumption  of  white  clothing  in  the 
winter  season.  It  is  well  known  that,  although 
the  darker  colors  absorb  heat  to  a  greater  degree 
than  lighter  ones,  so  that  dark  clothing  is  much 
warmer  than  light-colored  when  the  wearer  is  ex- 
posed to  the  sun's  rays,  the  radiation  of  heat  is 
also  much  greater  from  dark-colored  than  from 
light  -  colored  surfaces,  and  consequently  animal 
heat  is  more  completely  retained  by  a  light  than  a 
dark  covering. 

10.  "  In  the  defense  of  their  young,  weasels 
have   sometimes  attacked  man.      'I  have  knowl- 
edge,' says  Dr.  Abbott,  'of  a  man  being  attacked  by 
several  weasels,  and  badly  bitten  by  them.     Before 
he  escaped  from  their  fury,  he  managed  to  kill  two 
of  them,  and  I  judged  these  at  the  time  to  be  an 
adult  male,  and  a  young  one  of  the  summer  just 
past.      The  man  who  passed  through  this  novel 
experience  believed  there  were  "  at  least  a  dozen 
of  them  in  all " ;  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  it 
was  a  family  of  weasels  that  were  then  hunting  or 
traveling  in  company.' 

11.  "  The  skunk  is  about  the  size  of  a  cat,  with 
a  broad,  robust  body,  standing  low  on   the  legs. 
Its  fur  is  coarse,  the  hair  long,  the  tail  long  and 
bushy ;  the  claws  on  the  fore-feet  are  long  and 
very  strong,  suitable  for  digging.     The  color  va- 
ries so  much  that  it  is  rare  to  find  two  specimens 


150         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

alike.  It  is  found  in  the  rocky  and  woody  parts 
of  North  America.  i  The  skunk,'  says  Sir  John 
Richardson,  '  passes  the  winter  in  a  hole,  seldom 
stirring  abroad,  and  then  only  for  a  short  distance. 
It  preys  upon  mice,  and  in  summer  has  been  ob- 
served to  feed  much  on  frogs ;  it  has  a  slow  gait, 
and  can  be  overtaken  without  difficulty,  for  it 
makes  but  a  poor  attempt  to  escape,  putting  its 
trust  apparently  in  its  power  of  discomfiting  its 
pursuers  by  the  discharge  of  its  noisome  fluid.' " 

12.  It  is  interesting  to  know  the  pleasant  rela- 
tions existing  between  two  not  particularly  popu- 
lar animals  as  set  forth  in  a  story  told  by  Dr.  Ab- 
bott :  "  In  June,  1863, 1  witnessed  a  terrific  combat 
between  a  large  skunk  and  a  blacksnake,  which, 
I  judge,  measured  fully  five  feet  in  length.     The 
prowling  skunk  had  evidently  seized  the  snake  by 
the  tail  and  endeavored  to  give  it  a  violent  shake, 
as  it  would  a  little  garter  -  snake.     This  angered 
the  snake,  and,  turning  like  lightning,  he  wrapped 
himself   about    the   skunk,  completely  encircling 
both  neck  and  body.     The  head  was  so  far  free 
that  the  skunk  could  give  the  snake  nip  after  nip, 
though  it  could  not  get  a  strong  enough  hold  to 
disable  it. 

13.  "Rolling  over  and  over,  hissing  and  snap- 
ping, the  snake  nearly  concealed  by  the  long  hair 
of  the  skunk,  the  two  creatures  presented  a  strange 
spectacle  as  they  struggled,  the  one  to  conquer, 
the  other   to  escape.     After  watching   them   for 


TIGERS   OF  COPSE  AND  HEDGE.  151 

fully  five  minutes,  I  ventured  to  approach,  and 
dealt  the  two  a  hard  blow  with  a  club,  and  then 
ran  back  a  few  paces,  not  knowing  what  might  be 
the  result.  Turning  about,  I  ventured  to  return 
part  of  the  way  to  see  whether  the  struggle  con- 
tinued. All  was  comparatively  quiet,  and,  com- 
ing still  nearer,  I  found  that  the  snake  had  relin- 
quished its  hold  and  was  slowly  retiring  in  a  disa- 
bled condition.  The  skunk  was  lying  quite  mo- 
tionless, and  proved  to  be  dying,  though  not  dead. 
Soon  after,  I  examined  the  animal  carefully,  and 
found  that  it  had  been  strangled,  or  nearly  so." 

14.  The  ferret   belongs  to  the  weasel  family, 
and  is  about  the  size  of  the  ermine  or  stoat.     "  It 
is  kept  for  the  purpose  of  dislodging  rabbits  from 
their  warren.     The  ferret  is  also  a  great  enemy  to" 
rats,  and  will  not  suffer  one  to  remain  alive  when 
it  is  allowed  to  go  in  search  of  them.     Although 
readily  tamed,  it  seldom  evinces  attachment,  and 
is  easily  intimidated.     It  emits  an  unpleasant  odor, 
like   all  its   tribe.     Like  the  rest  of  the  species, 
likewise,  it  is  remarkable  for  the  pertinacity  with 
which  it  retains  the  bite  which  it  has  once  taken. 
This  circumstance  is  illustrated  by  the  following 
occurrence :  A  man  of  the  name  of  Isles,  a  barge- 
man, finding  himself  much  incommoded  by  rats, 
procured  a  ferret  to  destroy  them. 

15.  "The  ferret  remaining  away  a  considera- 
ble time,  he  thought  it  was  devouring  some  rats 
it  had  killed,  and  went  to  sleep,  but  was  awak- 


152         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

ened  early  next  morning  by  the  ferret,  who  was 
commencing  an  attack  on  him.     The  animal  had 


^••••K^^sfcnr^i* —     *^efr      v  — r.^^     ~"   -.,   'V     "       \r    ••-    • 

Sea-Otter.     Showing  the  Front  Paics,  and  the  Hind  Webbed  Feet. 

seized  him  near  the  eyebrow ;  and  the  man,  after 
endeavoring  in  vain  to  shake  him  off,  at  length 
severed  the  body  from  the  head  with  a  knife — the 
latter  still  sticking  so  fast  as  to  be  with  difficulty 
removed." 

16.  Another  cousin  of  the  weasel  is  the  otter, 
whose  eyes  are  small,  neck  long,  legs  short,  and 
color  dark,  glossy  brown.  Otters  have  a  singular 
habit  of  sliding  down  wet  and  muddy  banks,  as  if 
for  sport,  and  at  these  coasting-places  hunters  set 
their  traps.  The  feet  of  the  otter  are  webbed, 
and  it  is  at  home  in  the  water,  where  it  finds  the 
chief  article  of  its  diet,  fish.  Otters  have  been 
tamed,  and  in  this  condition  are  trained  to  bring 


TIGERS  OF  COPSE  AND  HEDGE. 


153 


their  game  to  their  masters.  "  The  fact  that  otters 
admit  of  being  taught  to  catch  fish  and  bring  them 
to  their  masters,  shows  no  small  degree  of  docility 
on  the  part  of  these  animals.  i  I  have  seen/  says 
Dr.  Goldsmith,  <  an  otter  go  to  a  gentleman's  pond 
at  word  of  command,  drive  the  fish  into  a  corner, 
and,  seizing  upon  the  largest  of  the  whole,  bring 
it  off  in  his  mouth  to  his  master.' r 

17.  "  The  ichneumon,  which  is  about  the  size 
of  a  cat,  is  chiefly  known,  and  is  highly  valued  in 


The  Egyptian  Ichneumon  sucking  Crocodile's  Eggs. 

Egypt,  for  its  agility  and  boldness  in  destroying 
serpents.  In  Egypt  and  India  it  is  accordingly 
kept  as  a  domestic  cat.  No  animal  has  a  stronger 
propensity  for  the  destruction  of  life.  It  soon 
rids  a  house  of  rats  and  mice,  preys  upon  every 


154:         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

reptile  of  the  torrid  zone,  and  frequently  kills  that 
fatal  snake  the  cobra." 

18.  "In  its  conflicts  with  poisonous  serpents, 
they  sometimes  bite  the  little  creature,  in  which 
case,  as  is  reported,  it  immediately  flies  to  the 
root  of  a  certain  plant  which  is  said  to  counter- 
act the  effects  of  the  poison.  This  plant  is  called 
by  the  Indians  after  the  animal.  Mr.  Percival  saw 
an  experiment  tried  in  a  closed  room,  where  the 
ichneumon,  instead  of  attacking  a  poisonous  ser- 
pent that  was  presented  to  him,  did  all  in  his  power 
to  prevent  it.  On  the  snake  being  carried  out  of 
the  house,  however,  and  laid  near  his  antagonist  in 
a  plantation,  he  immediately  darted  at  and  soon 
destroyed  it.  It  then  retired  to  the  wood  and  ate 
a  portion  of  that  plant  which  is  said  to  be  an  anti- 
dote to  the  serpent's  bite." 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 
DIGGERS   FOR   GRUBS  AND    BEETLES. 

1.  THE  patient  and  industrious  farmer  plows, 
digs,  plants,  and  hoes,  to  make  sure  of  the  crop 
which  is  to  furnish  him  and  his  family  with  food. 
But  he  is  beset  with  enemies  on  all  sides,  and  his 
life  is  a  perpetual  warfare.  The  midge  attacks  his 
wheat,  the  Colorado  bug  feeds  upon  his  potatoes, 
the  curculio  destroys  his  fruit,,  and  swarms  of 


DIGGERS  FOB   GRUBS  AND  BEETLES.         155 

grasshoppers  eat  up  every  living  thing.  Little 
good  would  come  of  his  labors  were  he  not  assisted 
by  friends  who  help  him  on  all  sides.  Parasitic 
insects  feed  upon  the  eggs  of  his  foes,  birds  bag 
the  bugs  and  scratch  out  the  worms,  and  harmless 
toads  and  snakes  catch  and  swallow  the  crawling 
and  flying  destroyers. 

2.  The  ground  is  the  breeding-place  of  many 
of  these  pests,  and,  deep  in  the  soil,  where  neither 
the  bill  of  the  bird,  the  tongue   of  the  toad,  nor 
the  sting  of  the  ichneumon-fly  can  reach  them, 
grubs  live  and  thrive.     They  feed  upon  the  roots 
of  grass  and  grain  until  green  fields  turn  to  a  sickly 
yellow  from  premature  decay,  and  then  they  are 
ready  to  rise  into  the  air  and  continue  their  de- 
structive work  above.     But  grub  and  worms  are 
meat  and  bread  for  curious  little  animals  which 
have  the  power  of  following  them  into  their  bur- 
rows and  blind  galleries.     These  are  the  moles  and 
the  shrews — "  ground-mice,"  as  they  are  sometimes 
called — found  the  world  over. 

3.  The  mole  has  already  been  described.  With- 
out eyes  and  with  imperfect  ears,  it  has  no  place 
in  the  light  and  the  air.     Its  instinct  is  to  dig. 
Place  it  on  the  turf,  and  it  disappears  in  less  than 
a   minute.     Its   paws   are   spades,  and   it   passes 
through  the  soil  with  nearly  as  great  ease  as  other 
animals  along  the  surface.     Its  keen  nose  scents 
grubs,  and  its  flexible  tongue  snaps  them  up  in  an 
instant.     The  trouble  with  the  mole  is  that,  while 


156         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

it  eats  multitudes  of  worms,  it  also  eats  the  corn 
and  other  seeds  which  have  just  been  planted,  and 
it  is  hard  to  convince  the  farmer  that  the  mole  is 
not  a  pest  to  be  destroyed. 

4.  In  England  a  common  little  insect  •  eater  is 
the  shrew.     It  is  about  the  size  of  a  mouse,  and, 


TJie  Common  Shrew. 

unlike  the  mole,  it  lives  above-ground  and  is  fur- 
nished with  eyes.  It  has  a  long,  flexible  nose,  with 
which  it  roots  in  the  ground,  and  searches  for 
grubs  in  the  densest  herbage.  It  builds  its  nest 
in  some  hollow  in  the  ground  or  hole  in  a  bank, 
and  is  altogether  a  very  pretty,  harmless  little  ani- 
mal, and  an  excellent  friend  of  the  farmer. 

5.  The  water-shrew  is  amphibious,  equally  at 
home  on  land  or  in  the  water.  It  swims  out  to 
catch  water-bugs,  and  it  travels  inland  to  nose  out 


DIGGERS  OF  GRUBS  AND  BEETLES.          157 

grubs.  Its  fur  is  very  soft  and  fine,  and  is  so  sup- 
plied with  oil  as  to  preserve  the  body  from  wet. 
In  all  its  movements,  whether  on  land  or  in  wa- 
ter, it  is  extremely  graceful. 

6.  Mr.  Wood  says :  u  When  the  water  -  shrew 
is  engaged  in  swimming,  those  parts  of  the   fur 
which  are  submerged  appear  to  be  studded  with 
an  infinite  number  of  tiny  silver  beads,  which  gives 
to  the  animal  a  very  singular  aspect.     This  effect 
is  produced  by  the  minute  air-bubbles  that  cling 
to  the  fur,  and  which  exude  from  the  space  be- 
tween the  hairs. 

7.  "I  have  often  watched  a  little  colony    of 
these  animals  within   a  yard  or  two  of  them  with- 
out  their   seeing   me.     They   are   sportive   little 
creatures,  and  seem  to  enjoy  a  game  of  play  greatly  ; 
chasing  each  other  over  the  ground  and  through 
the  water,  running  up  the  stems  of  plants  and 
tumbling  off  the  leaves  into  the  water,  scrambling 
hastily  over  the  stones  around  which  the  stream 
ripples,  and  playing  a  thousand  little  pranks  with 
the  most  evident  enjoyment.     Then  they  will  sud- 
denly cease  their  play  and  begin  to  search  after 
insects  with  the  utmost   gravity,  rooting   in   the 
banks  and  picking  up  stray  flies,  as  if  they  never 
had  any  other  business  in  view." 

8.  In  South  Africa  a  very  common  shrew  has 
a  long,  pointed  nose,  like  the  trunk  of  an  elephant, 
and  is  hence  called  the  "  elephant  shrew."     Like 
the  kangaroo,  its  hind-legs  are  much  longer  than 


158         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

its   fore-legs.      By   placing    its    plantigrade   foot 
squarely  upon  the   ground,  it  is  able  to  sit  up 


The  Elephant  Shreio. 

straight  and  hold  itself  in  that  position.  Its  long 
hind -legs  give  it  great  power  in  leaping,  and 
when  frightened  its  movements  are  like  those  of  a 
jack-rabbit — a  flash  and  a  whiz,  and  the  animal  is 
out  of  sight.  The  long  trunk  is  of  great  use  in 
"nosing"  out  bugs. 

9.  In  England  and  other  European  countries 
the  largest  and  most  common  of  the  insect-eaters 
is  the  hedgehog.  This  animal  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  porcupine  which  is  found  in  this 
country,  and  is  generally  called  a  hedgehog.  The 
English  hedgehog  eats  insects — our  porcupine  is  a 
rodent,  like  the  beaver  and  squirrel,  and  gets  his 
food  by  gnawing  the  bark  of  trees.  Like  the  por- 


DIGGERS  OF  GRUBS  AND  BEETLES.          159 

cupine,  the  hedgehog  is  covered  with  sharp  spines, 
and  when  attacked  he  rolls  himself  up,  presenting 
an  appearance  of  a  ball  of  needles  and  pins  with 
their  points  outward. 

10.  Besides  protecting  him  from  enemies,  these 
spines  or  quills  are  useful  to  the  hedgehog  for 
other  purposes.     They  are  very  elastic ;  and  when 
he  rolls  himself  up  with  his  quills  pointing  out- 
ward, he  is,  in  fact,  in  the  midst  of  a  thick  cushion 
which  protects  him  on  all  sides.     A  hedgehog  has 
been  seen  repeatedly  to  throw  himself  from  a  wall 
twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high,  striking  upon  the 
hard  ground  without  in  any  way  being  hurt.     On 
reaching  the  ground,  he  would  unroll  himself  and 
trot  off  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

11.  The  home  of  the  hedgehog  is  in  some  re- 
tired and  protected  spot,  such  as  a  crevice  in  the 
rocks,  or  a  hollow  under  a  heap  of  stones.     He  is 
very  fond  of  hollow  trees  and  of  the  vacant  spaces 
under  the  roots  of  old  trees.     Here  he  builds  a 
cozy  nest,  and  here  he  sleeps  during  the  entire 
winter,  without  waking  or  taking  food.    His  hiber- 
nation is  as  perfect  as  that  of  a  bear. 

12.  The  legitimate  food  of  the  hedgehog  is  the 
insect  tribe.     These  he  consumes  in  vast  numbers, 
being  able  not  only  to  chase  those  wThich  run  upon 
the  ground,  but  to  dig  in  the  earth,  and  feed  upon 
the  grubs,  worms,  and  various  larvae  which  pass 
their  lives  under-ground.     A  hedgehog  has  been 
seen  to  exhume  the  nest  of  a  bumble-bee,  and  to  eat 


160         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


bees,  grubs,  and  honey,  entirely  unmindful  of  the 
anger  of  the  survivors.  It  has  a  great  liking  for 

eggs,  and  has 
an  ingenious 
method  of  eat- 
ing them.  He 
lays  the  egg 
upon  the 

ground,  holds 
it  firmly  be- 
tween his  fore- 
feet, bites  a 
hole  in  the  top, 
rr  7  ,  and,  inserting 

Tlie  European  Hedgehog. 

his  tongue,  he 

licks  out  the  contents.  He  is  also  a  great  destroyer 
of  snakes,  frogs,  and  other  small  animals,  crunch- 
ing them,  together  with  their  bones,  as  easily  as  a 
horse  will  eat  a  carrot. 

13.  Mr.  Wood  says :  "  The  hedgehog  may  be 
tamed  and  used  as  guardian  to  our  kitchens,  where 
it  may  be  put  in  charge  of  the  i  black  beetles.' 
The  rapidity  with  which  it  rids  a  house  of  cock- 
roaches and  water-bugs  is  marvelous,  and  shows 
that  he  has  more  speed  and  wariness  than  they.  A 
hedgehog  which  resided  in  our  house  for  some  years 
had  somewhat  of  a  nomad  existence ;  for  as  soon 
as  it  had  eaten  up  all  the  cockroaches  in  one  kitch- 
en, it  used  to  be  loaned  to  friends  for  similar  pur- 
poses, until  his  services  were  again  needed  at  home. 


GRUBBERS  FOR  ANTS.  161 

14.  u  The  creature  was  very  tame,  and  would 
come  at  any  time  to  a  saucer  of  milk  in  broad  day- 
light. Sometimes  it  took  a  fancy  to  walk  in  the 
garden,  when  it  would  trot  along  in  its  own  quaint 
style,  poking  its  sharp  nose  into  every  crevice,  and 
turning  over  every  fallen  leaf  in  its  path.  If  it 
heard  a  strange  step,  it  would  curl  itself  into  a  ball, 
and  lie  in  that  posture  for  a  few  minutes  until  its 
alarm  had  passed  away,  when  it  would  cautiously 
unroll  itself,  and  peer  about  with  its  bead-like  eyes 
for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then  it  would  resume  its 
progress." 


CHAPTER    XXV. 
GRUBBERS   FOR   ANTS. 

1.  IN  portions  of  South  America  and  Africa 
ants  are  so  numerous  as  to  make  the  regions  un- 
inhabitable for  man.  The  army  ant  of  Africa  and 
the  driver  ant  of  Central  America  march  in  col- 
umns miles  long,  and  devour  everything  that  has 
animal  life  which  comes  in  their  way.  When  the 
army  invades  a  dwelling,  the  people  nee  for  their 
lives.  The  fire  ants  of  the  Amazon  burrow  under- 
ground ;  but  they  are  in  such  numbers  that  they 
have  been  known  to  take  possession  of  whole  vil- 
lages and  drive  out  the  inhabitants.  They  not 
only  eat  everything  that  is  eatable,  but  they  at- 


162         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

tack  human  beings,  and  their  bite  is  almost  as 
painful  as  the  sting  of  a  wasp. 

2.  In  some  of  the  provinces  of  Brazil,  vege- 
table-eating ants  are  in  practical  control  of  the 
country.    The  vegetation  that  is  agreeable  to  them 
can  be  preserved  by  no  human  art,  and  the  ants 
not  only  decide  what  the  farmer  must  cultivate, 
but  they  also  decide  what  kinds  of  plants  must 
grow  in  the  region.     They  become  one  of  the  po- 
tent  forces   in   determining   "  natural   selection." 
The  white  ants  burrow,  but  they  gnaw  as  well. 
They  shun  the  light,  and  so  eat  their  way  into  the 
inside  of  things  as  quickly  as  possible. 

3.  They  invade  a  dwelling,  and  the  timbers, 
the  floor,  the  furniture,  and  everything  that  is  made 
of  wood  is  soon  eaten  out  from  the  inside,  leaving 
nothing  but  a  thin  outside  shell  untouched.  A  sud- 
den wind-blast,  or  a  heavy  foot-fall,  and  the  whole 
fabric  collapses  and  is  dust.     Man  stands  a  poor 
chance  in  a  fight  against  these  insects.     Fire,  poi- 
son, and  gunpowder  may  keep  them  in  check  for 
a  time,  but  their  countless  myriads  at  last  triumph 
over  any  obstacle  in  their  way. 

4.  But  man  has  allies  which,  while  serving  him, 
serve  themselves  more  directly.    These  are  the  ant- 
eaters,  great  and  small,  found  in  various  parts  of 
the  world.     The  ant-eaters  belong  to  the  order  of 
animals  called  Edentata,  or  toothless,  and,  although 
some  of  them  have  small  back  teeth,  none  of  them 
have  incisors  on  either  the  upper  or  lower  jaw. 


GRUBBERS  FOR  ANTS. 


163 


They  all  have  long,  pointed  noses,  and  a  tongue 
covered  with  a  sticky  saliva,  which  they  can  pro- 


The  Ant-Sear. 

trade  to  a  great  length.  This  tongue  thrust  into 
an  ant-hill  is  soon  covered  with  insects,  the  whole 
of  which  are  scraped  into  the  expectant  mouth, 
and  the  trap  reset  for  another  mouthful. 

5.  The  largest  of  the  ant-eaters  is  the  great 
ant-bear  of  South  America.  Its  body  and  head 
are  about  four  feet  in  length,  and  the  tail  is  about 
thirty  inches  more,  if  the  long  hair  at  the  ex- 


164        FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

tremity  be  included.  The  head  itself  measures 
about  fourteen  inches,  and  becomes  exceedingly 
narrow  toward  the  snout.  The  eyes  are  small, 
and  shaded  by  naked  lids ;  the  fur  is  long,  espe- 
cially over  the  shoulders ;  the  tail  is  bushy,  and 
the  hairs  long  and  bristly.  The  general  color  of 
the  animal  is  grayish  brown.  The  great  ant-eater 
generally  inhabits  low,  swampy  grounds,  and  is 
found  frequently  in  dense  thickets.  It  is  unable 
to  climb,  and  moves  so  slowly  that  it  may  easily 
be  overtaken  by  a  man  on  foot,  and  offers  but 
slight  resistance  to  its  captor.  The  greater  part 
of  its  life  is  passed  in  repose,  the  head  being 
doubled  under  the  chest,  and  the  tail  curved 
round  so  as  to  protect  its  body  from  the  fierce 
heat  of  the  sun.  These  animals  are  not  numer- 
ous ;  they  live  on  the  ants  that  abound  in  the  re- 
gions they  frequent. 

6.  When  the  ant-bear  meets  with  one  of  the 
tumuli  constructed  by  the  white  ants,  it  immedi- 
ately pulls  the  fabric  down  by  means  of  its  strong 
claws,  and,  when  the  ants  are  thus  exposed,  its 
long,  slender  tongue  is  thrust  out  to  collect  them. 
The  movements  of  the  tongue,  as  it  is  alternately 
protruded  and  retracted,  are  so  rapid  that  it  is.  no 
longer  surprising  how  so  large  an  animal  can  sati- 
ate its  appetite  with  such  minute  insects.  The  ant- 
bear  is,  however,  an  economist,  and  does  not  de- 
stroy more  than  he  wants.  When  he  finds  ^  the 
termites  diminish  on  the  surface,  as  every  one 


GRUBBERS  FOR  ANTS.  165 

seeks  to  escape  in  the  numerous  galleries  of  the 
ruined  edifice,  he  uses  his  left  foot  to  hold  large 
lumps  of  the  nest,  while  with  the  right  he  leisurely 
pulls  them  to  pieces. 

7.  The  ant-bear  makes  neither  nest  nor  bur- 
row, its  ample  tail  serving  as  its  sole  protection 
against  the  inclemency  of  the  weather.    One  of  its 
favorite  positions  when  at  rest  is  to  tuck  up  its 
feet  under  its  belly,  and  bring  its  two  extremi- 
ties almost  close  together,  in  which  position  the 
tail  covers  the  whole  animal;   at  other  times  it 
gathers  itself  up  like  a  dog,  and  the  tail  covers 
only  the  snout  and  part  of  the  body. 

8.  Dr.  Schomburgh  had  a  young  ant-bear  in 
his  possession;   by  its  power  of  smell  it  would 
discover  its  nurse  or  any  person  for  whom  it  had 
a  liking  at  a  considerable  distance.     It  climbed 
expertly ;  and,  while  Dr.  Schomburgh  was  writing, 
would  come  softly  behind  him  and  climb  up  his 
legs  with  great  dexterity.     When  its  Indian  nurse 
was  too  busy  to  pet  it,  she  would  throw  it  her 
blanket,  or  some  of  the  clothes  she  had  worn,  in 
which  it  wrapped  itself  and  was  pacified ;  it  was 
very  sportive  and  gentle,  and  became  highly  prized. 

9.  The  mouth  of  the  ant-eater  is  quite  tooth- 
less.    The  jaws  are  of  great  length,  giving  to  the 
animal  an  extremely  bird-like  expression ;  and  the 
movements  of  the  lower  mandible,  when  the  ani- 
mal is  feeding,  may  be  clearly  traced  beneath  the 
skin  which  covers  the  face.     In  its  slow  and  meas- 


166         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

ured  walk,  the  tail  is  stretched  out  in  a  straight 
line  with  the  back,  and  the  animal  then  presents 
a  length  of  between  six  and  seven  feet,  of  which 
the  head  occupies  one  foot  and  the  tail  three. 
It  cleans  its  face  and  little  mouth  by  rubbing 
them  with  the  knee-joint,  slightly  bent  for  that 
purpose ;  the  viscid  saliva  and  adhesive  nature  of 
its  food  rendering  some  such  operation  a  matter  of 
continual  necessity. 

10.  The  phatagin,  or  pangolin,  is  an  ant-eater 
of  Africa,  where  it  passes  under  the  name  of  the 


The  Short-tailed  Pangolin. 


"  ipi." 


Du  Chaillu  gives  the  following  description 
of  it :  "  The  pangolin  genus,  to  which  the  ipi  be- 
longs, is  a  very  singular  group  of  animals.  They 
are  ant-eaters,  quite  destitute  of  teeth,  and  having 
a  long,  extensile  tongue,  the  extremity  of  which  is 


GRUBBERS  FOR  ANTS.  167 

covered  with  a  glutinous  secretion,  by  means  of 
which  they  catch  their  prey.  But  while  the  South 
American  ant-eaters  are  clothed  with  hair  like  the 
ordinary  mammalian  animals,  the  pangolins  have 
an  armament  of  large  scales  implanted  in  the  skin 
of  the  upper  surface  of  the  body,  from  the  head 
to  the  tip  of  the  tail,  and  imbricated,  or  overlap- 
ping, like  the  slates  on  the  roof  of  a  house.  The 
animals  look  at  first  sight  like  curious,  heavy-bod- 
ied lizards ;  but  they  have  warm  blood,  and  nour- 
ish their  young  like  the  rest  of  the  mammalia. 
The  ipi  lives  in  burrows  in  the  earth,  or  some- 
times in  large  holes  of  colossal  trees  which  have 
fallen  to  the  ground. 

11.  "The  burrows  that  I  saw  were  in  light 
soil  on  the  slope  of  a  hill.     There  are  two  holes 
in  each  gallery ;  one  for  entrance,  and  another  for 
exit.     This  is  necessary  on  account  of  the  animal 
being  quite  incapable  of  curving  its  body  side- 
wise,  so  that  it  can  not  turn  itself  in  its  burrow. 
The  bodies  of  the  pangolin  are  very  flexible  ver- 
tically ;  that  is,  they  can  roll  themselves  up  into 
a  ball,  and  coil  and  uncoil  themselves  very  readily, 
but  they  can  not  turn  around  within  the  narrow 
limits  of  their  burrows. 

12.  "In  hunting  them,  we  had  first  to  ascertain 
by  the  foot-marks,  or  more  readily  by  the  marks 
left  by  the  track  of  the  tail,  which  was  the  en- 
trance and  which  the  exit  of  the  burrow,  and  then, 
making  a  trap  at  one  end,  drive  them  out  by  the 


168         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMER& 

smoke  of  a  fire  at  the  other,  afterward  securing 
them  by  ropes*  The  freshness  of  the  tracks  told 
us  that  the  animal  had  entered  its  burrow  the  pre- 
ceding evening ;  for  I  must  add  that  the  ipi  is  noc- 
turnal in  its  habits,  sleeping  in  its  burrow  through- 
out the  day.  When  it  wanders  at  night,  the 
natives  say  they  can  hear  the  rattling  of  its  large 
scales." 

13.  Tennant  captured  and  tamed  this  animal 
in  Ceylon.     He  says :  "  Of  two  specimens  which  I 
kept  alive  at  different  times,  one,  from  the  vicinity 
of  Kandy,  about  two  feet  in  length,  was  a  gentle 
and  affectionate  creature,  which,  after  wandering 
over  the  house  in  search  of  ants,  would  attract  at- 
tention to  its  wants  by  climbing  on  my  knee,  lay- 
ing hold  of  my  leg  by  its  prehensile  tail.     I  had 
always  understood  that  the  pangolin  was  unable 
to  climb  trees,  but  the  one  last  mentioned  fre- 
quently ascended  a  tree  in  my  garden  in  search  of 
ants,  and  this  it  effected  by  means  of  its  hooked 
feet,  aided  by  an  oblique  grasp  of  the  tail.     The 
ants  it  seized  by  extending  its  round  and  glutinous 
tongue  along   their  tracks.     Generally  speaking, 
they  were  quiet  during  the  day,  and  grew  restless 
as  evening  and  night  approached." 

14.  The  armadillo  is  a  small  armor-plated  ani- 
mal like  the  phatagin.     It  is  found  in  Central  and 
South  America.     It  is  an  ant-eater,  but  also  feeds 
on  worms,  fruits,  small  reptiles,  and  carrion.     It 
is   nocturnal,  sleeping   in  its  burrow  during  the 


GRUBBERS  FOR  ANTS. 


169 


day,  and  coming  out  at  night  in  search  of  food. 
When  pursued  it  makes  hastily  for  its  burrow,  but 


The  Armadillo. 


if  unable  to  gain  it,  or  to  dig  a  temporary  retreat, 
it  partially  rolls  itself  into  a  ball,  and  allows  itself 
to  be  turned  about  by  its  enemy  without  attempt- 
ing to  move.  The  nine-banded  armadillo,  we  are 
told,  in  Nicaragua  is  kept  not  only  by  the  people 
of  the  ranchos,  but  by  the  inhabitants  of  some  of 
the  little  towns,  to  free  their  houses  from  ants, 
which  it  can  follow  by  the  smell.  When  search- 
ing for  ants  about  a  house,  the  animal  puts  out  its 
tongue  and  licks  the  ants  into  its  mouth  from 
around  the  posts  on  which  the  houses  are  raised  a 
little  above  the  ground.  It  has  been  known  to  dig 
down  under  the  floors,  and  remain  absent  'for  three 


170         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

or  four  weeks  at  a  time.  "  When  burrowing," 
says  Audubon,  "  this  species  makes  a  slight  squeak, 
quite  faint,  however.  They  are  said  to  dig  down 
in  a  straight  direction  when  they  discover  a  sub- 
terranean colony  of  ants,  without  beginning  at  the 
mouth  or  entrance  of  the  ant-hole."  They  are 
very  persevering  when  in  pursuit  of  ants,  and, 
while  they  turn  up  the  light  soil  with  the  mouth, 
keep  the  tongue  busy  taking  insects. 

15.  The  sloth  is  another  member  of  the  "  Eden- 


The  Sloth. 


tata,"  although  not  an  ant-eater.  It  is  a  tree- 
climber,  but  it  hangs  suspended  from  the  under 
side  of  a  branch  instead  of  resting  on  top.  Its  food 
is  the  leaves  of  trees.  It  is  so  constructed  that  it 
moves  slowly  and  with  difficulty  on  the  ground, 


PLANTIGRADE  RANGERS  OF  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  171 

and  hence  the  name  "  sloth."  But  upon  the  trees 
and  in  the  thick  forests  its  motions  are  quick  and 
its  rate  of  progress  rapid.  A  full  description  of 
this  animal  is  given  in  Book  V. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 
PLANTIGRADE    RANGERS  OF   FIELD   AND    FOREST. 

1.  THE  bear  is  not  the  only  dweller  of  the 
wilds   that   shuffles   along  with   the   whole   foot 
planted  squarely  upon  the  ground.     His   planti- 
grade  cousins    are    numerous,    though   many   of 
them  are  his  kin 

in  little  besides 
their  manner  of 
walking.  The 
plantigrades  are 
not  so  savage  as 
the  wolves  and 
cats  of  the  wilds, 
and  some  of  them 
are  quite  harm- 
less and  are  easi- 
ly tamed. 

2.  The  mem- 
ber of  this  fami- 
ly that  has  the  worst  reputation  is  the  wolverine, 
or  glutton.     This  animal  is  an  inhabitant  of  the 


The  Glutton,  or  Wolverine. 


172         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

cold  regions  of  Europe  and  America.  It  is  about 
two  and  a  half  feet  long,  with  a  large  body,  short, 
bushy  tail,  and  stout  legs,  armed  with  long  nails. 
It  has  a  pointed  nose,  strong  jaws,  and  sharp  teeth. 
If  we  could  think  of  a  weasel  that  had  suddenly 
grown  to  about  three  times  the  size  of  a  large  cat, 
and  still  retaining  all  the  features  of  a  weasel,  we 
should  get  a  pretty  good  idea  of  the  form  of  the 
wolverine. 

3.  Its  name  "  glutton  "  comes  from  its  great 
voracity.     An  old    Swedish  writer  declares   that 
"  if  the  glutton  finds  a  carcass  six  times  as  big  as 
itself,  it  does  not  leave  off  eating  while  a  mouthful 
is  left."     Another  writer  asserts  that  "  the  glutton 
squeezes  itself  between  two  trees  in  order  to  get 
rid  of  the  contents  of  its  stomach,  so  that  it  may 
eat  again." 

4.  While   these    stories   may  not  literally  be 
true,  they  express  very  accurately  the  character  of 
the  animal.     It  seems  always  hungry,  is  ever  ready 
to  eat,  and  remains  forever  a  glutton.     It  feeds 
chiefly  upon  the    carcasses   of   beasts   that   have 
been  killed  by  accident.     It  catches  meadow-mice, 
rabbits,  and  woodchucks.     It  is  very  destructive 
of  martens  and  beavers,  and  is  of  great  annoyance 
to  trappers  who  are  in  pursuit  of  the  fur-bearing 
animals.     The  wolverine  follows  around  from  trap 
to  trap,  eating  the  bait,  and  tearing  in  pieces  the 
animals  caught. 

5.  It  never  faces  a  man,  and  is  easily  killed  by 


PLANTIGRADE  RANGERS  OF  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  173 


a  blow  from  a  good-sized  cudgel.  The  European 
glutton  climbs  trees,  and  lies  in  wait  for  the  rein- 
deer which  come  to  graze  below.  It  pounces 
down  upon  the  back  of  one  of  them,  and  in  vain 
the  wounded  deer  tries  to  shake  it  off  by  rushing 
through  the  trees.  It  clings  till  its  victim  falls 
exhausted  with  pain  and  fatigue. 

6.  The  badger  is  the  little  brother  of  the  bear 
in  form  and  feature.  It  is  somewhat  smaller  than 
the  wolverine,  but  has  similar  short  legs  and  tail. 
Its  coat  of  hair  is  of  a  sandy  gray  above  and  of  a 
jet  black  below.  It  feeds  upon  mice,  small  ani- 
mals of  all  kinds,  roots,  fruit,  and  honey.  Unlike 
the  glutton,  it 
is  not  vora- 
cious, and  it 
can  live  for 
weeks  without 
food.  It  digs 
burrows  in  the 
ground,  where 
it  passes  most 
of  the  time 
during  the 
day,  coming 
out  at  night  in 
search  of  food.  It  is  found  in  the  northern  half 
of  America,  Europe,  and  Asia.  When  taken 
young,  the  badger  is  easily  tamed,  becoming  as 
familiar  as  a  dog.  It  is  very  cleanly  in  its  habits, 


The  American  Badger. 


FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

and  will  desert  its  burrow  when  any  kind  of  filth 
gets  into  it.  In  England  and  Scotland  a  badger- 
hunt  with  dogs  is  considered  a  great  pastime. 

7.  A  still  smaller  member  of  the  long-footed 
family  is  the  raccoon,  or  the  "  coon,"  as  it  is  com- 
monly called.     The  coon  is  about  twice  the  size 

of  a  large  cat.  Its 
coat  is  a  grayish- 
brown  fur  mingled 
with  long  black 
hairs.  Its  food  con- 
sists of  mice,  frogs, 
and  all  sorts  of 

The  Raccoon.  small  animals  and 

insects.  It  is  espe- 
cially fond  of  young  chickens  and  roasting  ears  of 
corn,  and  its  depredations  upon  farmers  are  some- 
times serious. 

8.  A  coon-hunt  is  a  great  event  with  the  negroes 
of  the  South.     It  takes  place  in  the  night,  when 
the  coon  is  out  in  search  of   its  nightly  rations. 
The  hunters  assemble  with  torches  and  dogs,  and 
when  the  coon  is  discovered  all  is  scramble  and 
confusion.      The   coon    runs   for    dear    life   and 
takes  to  a  tree,  where  he  crouches  upon  a  high 
branch.     The  dogs  bark,  the  negroes  jabber  and 
yell,  and  the  torches  flare  and  toss  up  and  down 
like  restless  spirits.     An  old   hunter  climbs  the 
tree  and  peers  about  until  he  sees  the  coon  where 
he  is  desperately  hugging  the  limb  upon  which  he 


PLANTIGRADE  RANGERS  OF  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  175 

is   perched.     A  vigorous  shake  breaks  his  hold, 
and  he  drops  down  among  his  enemies. 

9.  But  the  coon  does  not  tamely  surrender. 
The  dogs  find  to  their  sorrow  that  he  has  sharp 
teeth,    strong    jaws,    and   a   motion   marvelously 
quick.      The    excitement   is   now   at   its    height. 
The  dogs  rush  in,  are  bitten,  and  retire  howling. 
The  negroes  are  frantic  in  setting  on  the  dogs  and 
in  endeavoring  to  hit  the  coon.     In  the  scramble 
heads  are  broken  and  shins  hit,  and  yells  of  pain 
mingle  with  the  musical  chorus.     At  last  an  old 
experienced   coon-dog   watches    his    opportunity, 
seizes  the  victim  by  the  neck,  and  shakes  his  life 
out.      Frequently  the  coon  escapes,  and   is  foxy 
enough  to  get  away  from  his  pursuers  altogether. 

10.  Several  small  plantigrades  of  the  tropical 
regions  have  been  tamed,  becoming  pleasant  house- 
hold pets.    Among  these  are  the  coati-mondi,  from 
South  America,  with  its  sharp  nose  and  nimble 
legs,  of  which  Mr.  Lockwood  has  given  such  an 
interesting  account.     This  little  animal  seems  to 
have  had  a  curiosity  which  can  never  be  satisfied, 
and  many  a  sad  experience  did  it  have  from  the 
claws  of  the  cat,  the  teeth  of  the  dog,  the  sting  of 
a  wasp,  and  the  scald   of   a   hot  cup  of   coffee. 
Frank  Buckland  gives  the  following  account  of 
his  pet  Jemmy,  a  pretty  little  "  Suricate "  from 
Africa,  a  cousin  of  the  coati-mondi : 

11.  "In  the  engraving  now  presented  to  you, 
dear  reader,  you  will  see  a  portrait  of  one  of  the 


176          FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 


prettiest,  most  good-tempered,  amiable  little  ani- 
mals that  was  ever  made  a  pet  of  in  a  London 

house.  Poor 
little  Jemmy 
can  not,  unfor- 
tunately, speak. 
If  he  could,  he 
would  say  :  i  I 
am  a  poor  little 
Suricate.  The 
learned  men 
called  me  a  ze- 
nick  ;  and  I 
have  a  relative 
stuffed  in  the 
British  Muse- 
um, and  you 
will  see  his  Lat- 
name  ap- 


Jemmy. 


in 

pended —  Suri- 
cata  zenick — to 
his  mummy-like  carcass.  I  was  born  in  Africa ; 
can't  recollect  exactly  how  or  where.  The  first 
thing  I  remember  was  being  nursed  and  fed  by 
a  woman ;  but  she  was  not  white,  like  the  ladies 
who  are  now  so  kind  to  me ;  her  hair  was  in  little 
tufts;  she  had  great  thick  lips,  and  she  did  not 
wear  what  I  now  know  to  be  a  chignon — by  the 
way,  a  chignon  makes  a  capital  bed.  I  then  rec- 
ollect coming  across  the  sea  in  a  nasty,  stuffy  box, 


PLANTIGRADE  RANGERS  OF  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  177 

very  different  from  the  nice  warm  cage  I  have 
now.  I  assure  you  I  don't  want  to  go  back  to 
Africa.' 

12.  "Anyhow,  I  am  writing  about  little  Jem- 
my ;  there  he  sits  bolt  upright,  looking  at  me  with 
his  beautiful  little  black  eyes  and  inquiring  face. 
A  clergyman  friend  comes  in  to  see  the  new  ar- 
rival.    'Mr.  Adams  wants  to  see  the  prairie-dog/ 
says  the  faithful  i  buttons,'  John.     (Note. — John 
is  an  excellent  servant,  very  fond  of  animals,  and 
gives  them  their  food  regularly.)     'Why  is  the 
little   animal   called   a   dog?'    says   Mr.    Adams. 
'  Bog,'  I  answered,  '  because  he  is  not  a  dog.'     He 
might  as  wrell  have  been  called  a  prairie-cat.     He 
never  saw  a  prairie  in  his  life,  and  he  is  not  a  dog, 
and  certainly  not  a  cat.     Yet  the  lady  who  gave 
him  to  me  called  him  a  prairie-dog.     The  books 
call  him  a  Suricate. 

13.  "The  kind  lady  who  gave  me  little  Jem- 
my was  unwilling  he  should  spend  his  life  in  a 
cage  in  the  Zoological ;  so  she  offered  him  to  me, 
and,  of  course,  I  took  him.     Jemmy  is  now  master 
of  the  house ;  he  runs  up  and  down  just  whenever 
he  likes  and  how  he  likes.     He  lives  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  '  early  to  bed  and  early  to  rise.'     When 
the  sun  goes  down  he  *  turns  in '  like  a  sailor  at 
sea.     His  cage-door  is  always  open,  and  he  goes 
in  and  sleeps  when  he  likes ;  and,  poor  little  fel- 
low, how  he  does  sleep  !     No  moving ;  no  dreams. 
He  looks  like  a  ball  of  fur.     I  wish  I  could  sleep 


178         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

on  like  Jemmy.     He  can't  have  a  conscience,  or  he 
could  not  sleep  like  that. 

14.  "  When   he  first  arrived,  Jemmy   had  to 
fight  his  way  into  favor  with  the  establishment. 
First  of  all  he  had  to  make  peace  with  the  i  Old 
Hag.'     Now  the  'Old   Hag'  is  my  pet  monkey 
that  has  lived  in  my  study  for  seven  years,  and  a 
dear,  vicious  old  thing  she  is.     The  Old  Hag,  in  a 
most  dignified  manner,  received  Jemmy,  after  his 
credentials    had    been   duly   examined.     Not   so 
Tiney,   the    Old    Hag's    fellow-monkey.      Tiney 
watched   her   chance,    caught   Jemmy's    tail,  and 
pulled  it  into  the  cage  till  Jemmy  cried  murder. 
Then  came  the  two  dogs.     i  Old  Danny,'  of  royal 
canine  Windsor  descent,  bolted.     She  is  half  blind 
with    age,   but    she    will    not    wear    spectacles. 
'  Jacky,'  her  son,  barked  and  bolted  also.     i  Molly- 
clods,'  the  French  cat,  was  sitting  on  the  kitchen 
table,    '  prospecting.'     She    was    fool    enough   to 
come  down  off  the  table,  and  little  Jemmy  hunted 
the  lot  of  them,  with  his  tail  cocked  high  up  in 
the  air.     The  dogs  retired  into  the  copper  fire- 
place ;    the  cat  went   up   the    chimney.     Jemmy 
then  tried  to  eat  the  old  poll-parrot.     He  is  natu- 
rally avivorous,  but  Polly  watched,  ruffled  up  her 
feathers,  and  looked  out  of  one  eye,  till  at  last  she 
gave  Master  Jemmy  such  a  peck  on  his  inquisitive 
little  wet  black  nose  that  he  never  goes  near  Pol- 
ly's cage  now. 

15.  "Jemmy,  is  very  fond  of  warmth,  and  he 


PLANTIGRADE  BANGERS  OF  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  179 

always  sits  up — in  the  chair,  if  he  can — to  warm 
himself.     In  this  attitude   he   looks  wonderfully 
pretty:    he  keeps  turning  his  head,  listening  to 
the  slightest  noise,  while  he  hangs  his  paws  on  his 
breast  after  the  manner  of  an  awkward  charity 
child  who  does  not  know  her  lesson.     When  the 
morning  sun  pours  into  the  window,  Jemmy  man- 
ages to  get  on  to  the  dressing-table,  and  he  sits  up 
earnestly  looking  out  of  the  window.     What  he 
is  looking  for,  I  can't  tell,  but,  if  called,  he  will 
just  turn  his  head  for  an  instant,  and  then  look 
again  up  and  down  the  street  like  a  young  man 
waiting    for    his    sweetheart.     In    the    afternoon 
Jemmy  goes  to  the  other  window,  and,  if  there  is 
a  bit  of  sun  coming  in,  Jemmy  will  go  and  '  sit  in 
the  sun.'  according  to  reports  received  from  John 
on  my  return  home  from  official  duties.     One  day 
there  was  a  shriek  and  a  cry  of  alarm  from  Mrs. 
Buckland,  to  whom  Jemmy  is  devotedly  attached, 
and  she  to  him.     I  rushed  up-stairs.     *  Whatever 
is  the  matter  ? '     ( Oh,  dear  !  oh,  dear !     Jemmy's 
tail's  on  fire  ! '     Jemmy  had  been  sitting  too  close 
to  the  fire,  and  a  hot  cinder  did  the  Guy  Fawkes 
for  him. 

16.  "One  day  John  brought  Jemmy  up  to  me 
decidedly  ill.  He  spun  round  and  round  on  the 
floor  like  a  mad  thing.  l  Poor  little  fellow,'  I  said, 
*  what's  the  matter  ? '  So  I  nursed  him,  and  he 
grunted  his  gratitude.  I  had  up  all  the  servants 
and  took  evidence.  It  appears  that  Jemmy  had 


180         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

gone  out  into  the  garden — a  London  garden — out 
of  the  open  window.  I  saw  my  neighbor's  gar- 
dener working,  and  at  once  thought  he  had  struck 
him.  On  inquiry,  the  man,  who  was  veiy  civil, 
assured  us  that  he  had  never  struck  Jemmy  at  all, 
but  as  he  was  digging  the  ground  Jemmy  followed 
him,  and  had  eaten  seven  huge  lob-worms  right 
off  one  after  the  other.  O  tempora,  0  mores! 
Enough  to  make  anybody  ill,  I  thought.  So  I 
brought  my  professional  knowledge  to  bear,  and 
'  Jemmy  was  himself  again '  in  spite  of  the  '  diet 
of  worms.'  Long  live  little  Jemmy !  " 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 
THE    POUCHED   'POSSUM    AND    ITS    KIN. 

1.  THE  opossum,  or  Virginia  opossum,  as  it  is 
called,  is  the  only  representative  in  North  Amer- 
ica of  the  marsupials,  or  pouched  animals.  The 
pouch,  it  must  be  understood,  is  a  folding  together 
of  the  loose  skin  of  the  abdomen  so  as  to  form  a 
kind  of  pocket,  in  which  the  mother  carries  and 
protects  her  young.  "  With  the  general  propor- 
tions of  the  common  rat,"  says  "  The  Popular  Sci- 
ence Monthly,"  "  almost  the  size  of  the  domestic 
cat,  it  presents  rather  a  disagreeable  appearance 
and  odor.  A  dense  coat  of  light-gray  wool,  with 
scattered  hairs  interspersed,  covers  the  body,  while 


THE  POUCHED  '  POSSUM  AND  ITS  KIN.       181 


the  short  ears,  the  eyes,  the  long,  pointed  nose,  the 
feet,  and  tail,  are  colored  quite  dark.  Among  the 
trees  it  manifests  astonishing  agility,  climbing  or 
swinging  from  branch  to  branch  with  perfect 
safety,  and  may  be  seen  hanging  by  one  or  more 
of  its  feet,  or  by  its  tail  alone,  while  busily  en- 
gaged gathering  and  eating  wild  grapes,  or  rob- 
bing birds'  nests  of  their  eggs  or  young." 

2.  u  Methinks,"  says  Audubon,  "  I  see  one  at 
this  moment  slowly  and  cautiously  trudging  along 
over  the  melt- 
ing snow,  by 
the  side  of  an 
unfrequented 
pond,  nosing,  as 
it  goes,  for  the 
fare  its  raven- 
ous appetite 
prefers.  Now 
it  has  come 
upon  the  fresh 
track  of  a 
grouse  or  hare, 

and  it  raises  its  snout  and  snuffs  the  keen  air.  It 
stops  and  seems  at  a  loss  in  what  direction  to  go, 
for  the  object  of  its  pursuit  has  either  taken  a 
considerable  leap  or  has  cut  backward  before  the 
opossum  entered  its  track.  It  raises  itself  up, 
stands  for  a  while  on  its  hind-feet,  looks  around, 
sniffs  the  air,  and  then  proceeds.  But  now  at  the 


The  Common  Opossum. 


182         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

foot  of  a  noble  tree  it  comes  to  a  full  stand.  It 
walks  around  the  base  of  the  large  trunk,  over  the 
snow-covered  roots,  and  among  them  finds  an 
aperture,  which  it  at  once  enters. 

3.  "  Several  minutes  elapse,  when  it  reappears, 
dragging  along  a  squirrel,  already  deprived  of  life, 
with  which,  in  its  mouth,  it  begins  to  ascend  a  tree. 
Slowly  it  climbs ;  the  first  fork  does  not  seem  to 
suit  it,  for  perhaps  it  thinks  that  it  might  be  then 
too  openly  exposed  to  the  view  of  some  wily  foe, 
and   so  it   proceeds   until   it   gains   a  cluster  of 
branches  intertwined  with  grape-vines ;  and  then, 
composing  itself,  it  twists  its  tail  round  one  of  the 
twigs,  and  with  its  sharp  teeth  demolishes  the  un- 
lucky squirrel,  which  it  holds  all  the  while  in  its 
fore-paws. 

4.  "  But  suppose  the  farmer  has  surprised  the 
opossum  in  the  act  of  killing  one  of  his  best  fowls, 
his  angry  feelings  incline  him  to  kill   the   poor 
beast,  which,  conscious  of  its  inability  to  resist, 
rolls  off  like  a  ball.     The  more  the  farmer  rages, 
the  more  reluctant  is  the  animal  to  manifest  re- 
sentment.    At  last,  there  it  lies,  not  dead,  but 
exhausted — its  jaws   open,  its    tongue   extended, 
its  eye  dimmed ;  and  there  it  would  lie  till  the 
bottle-fly  should   come  to    deposit  its   eggs,    did 
not  the  tormentor  at  length  walk  off.     '  Surely,' 
he   says  to  himself,    '  the  beast  must  be  dead ! ' 
But   no,  reader,  it  is  only  i  'possuming ' ;  and  no 
sooner  has  its  enemy  withdrawn,  than  it  gradually 


THE  POUCHED  '  POSSUM  AND  ITS  KIN.       183 

gets   on   its   legs  and  once  more  makes  for   the 
woods." 

5.  In  foreign  lands  there  are  many  marsupials, 
among  which  is  the  wombat  of    Van  Dieman's 


Meriarfs  Opossum,  with  Young. 

Land  and  Australia.  "The  wombat,"  says  Mr. 
Bass,  "is  a  squat,  thick,  short-legged,  and  rather 
inactive  quadruped.  Its  figure  and  movements 
strongly  remind  one  of  those  of  the  bear.  Its 
pace,  too,  is  hobbling  or  shuffling,  and  not  unlike 
the  awkward  gait  of  that  animal."  The  bandicoot 
is  found  only  in  Australia.  It  has  much  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  rat,  lives  in  burrows,  and  feeds  upon 
small  animals,  insects,  and  roots.  It  is  smaller 
than  the  rabbit,  and  is  regarded  as  a  great  deli- 


184         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

cacy  for  the  table.     A  marsupial  has  been  found 
in  Queensland  no  larger  than  the  common  mouse. 

6.  The  dwarf  phalanger  of  Van  Dieman's  Land 
is  a  small,  pouched  animal  with  soft,  thick,  dark 
fur  and  a  prehensile  tail  like  that  of  our  opossum. 
It  rests  and  sleeps  during  the  day,  and  hunts  its 
nuts  and  other  food  by  night.      In  New  South 
Wales  is  found  the  long-tailed  flying  phalanger, 
characterized  by  the  same  general  habits,  but  living 
chiefly  in  the  tops  of  trees,  and  passing  from  tree 
to  tree  in  the  manner  of  the  flying  squirrel.     The 
spotted  dasyure,  or  Tasmanian  devil  of  Van  Die- 
man's Land,  is  about  the  size  of  the  badger,  and  is 
the  enemy  of  poultry  and  sheep.     The  largest  of 
the  carnivorous  marsupials  is  the- Tasmanian  wolf, 
nearly  the    size  of  the  common   wolf,   but  with 
shorter  legs. 

7.  Varieties  of  the  phalangers  and  flyers  are 
found  in  Australia,  as  is  also  the  koala.      It  is 
larger  than  the  cat,  dark  red,  and  tailless.     It  is 
easily  tamed,  and  shows  strong  personal  attach- 
ment  and   superior  intelligence.      The  pouch  is 
small,  and  when  the  young  leaves  it,  it  clings  to 
its  mother's  neck.     Mr.  Niccols  describes  a  young 
koala  which  he  placed  among  a  family  of  kittens 
to  be  nursed  by  the  cat.     The  latter  received  her 
new  charge  kindly,  and  it  thrived  well,  but  "  pussy 
was  destined  to  an  altogether  new  experience  in 
nursing,  for,  whenever  she  moved,  the  koala  clung 
to  her  most  pertinaciously. 


THE  POUCHED  ' }  POSSUM  AND  ITS  KIN.       185 

8.  "  She  ran  about  the  house,  with  this  pigmy 
Sinbad  sticking  to  her  back,  in  a  state  of  agita- 
tion  and  astonishment   most   comical  to  behold, 
rolling  over  and  over  in  her  attempt  to  get  rid  of 
her  burden.      But  an  animal  accustomed  to  be 
carried  on  its  mother's  back  through  the  dense 
foliage  of   an  Australian   forest  was   not   to  be 
shaken  off,  and  the  cat,  though  grievously  incon- 
venienced, never  resented  the  pain  which  the  sharp 
nails  of  its  adopted  child  must  have  inflicted  by 
scratching  or  biting  it.     Side  by  side  lay  the  kit- 
ten and  the  koala,  drinking  at  the  same  fountain, 
and  being  licked  and  caressed  by  the  cat  with  the 
utmost   impartiality.      But  feline  and   marsupial 
milk  are  very  different  in  character,  and  on  the 
third  day  this  interesting  relationship  was  severed 
by  the  death  of  the  koala,  to  the  great  regret  of  all 
who  witnessed  the  cat's  solicitude  for  this  waif  of 
the  Australian  bush." 

9.  The   kangaroo    of    Australia  is   the   most 
prominent  of  all  the  marsupials.     Its  diminutive 
fore-legs,  its  long  hind-legs,  and  immense  tail,  as 
well  as  its  queer  attitudes,  have  made  it  an  inter- 
esting animal.     The  average  weight  of  an  adult 
kangaroo  is  one  hundred  pounds.     The  wallaby  is 
a  smaller   species,   and   there   are,   besides,   rock 
kangaroos  and  kangaroo  rats.     On  account  of  the 
decrease  in  the  native  population,  and  the  killing 
of  the  dingoes,  both  of  whom  were  its  natural  ene- 

%mies,  the  kangaroo  multiplied  prodigiously,  and 


186         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

became  a  dreaded  pest.     One  animal  would  eat 
as  much  grass  as  two  sheep,  and  it  would  also  de- 


The  Great  Kangaroo. 

stroy  the  grass  for  the  sake  of  the  roots.  Hence, 
to  protect  the  industry  of  sheep-raising,  the  Gov- 
ernment offered  a  bounty  for  kangaroo  scalps,  and 
this  reward  stimulated  the  battue,  or  kangaroo 
hunt,  a  spirited  sketch  of  which  is  given  by  Mr. 
Inglis : 

10.  "The  silence  is  almost  depressing.     Occa- 
sionally your  horse  behind  the  line  kicks  up  the 


THE  POUCHED  'POSSUM  AND  ITS  KIK       187 

gravel,  or  a  stray  shot  at  some  solitary  kangaroo, 
unconscious  of  your  proximity,  breaks  the  still- 
ness for  a  moment ;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  utmost  quiet 
prevails.  There  is  no  distant 

11.  "  '  Boom  of  the  waterfall  far  in  the  forest  land  '  ; 

no  chirping  of  birds  ;  no  lowing  of  kine ;  nought 
is  heard  but  the  low  sighing  of  the  gentle  breeze 
among  the  green  trees.  A  flock  of  magpies  or 
parrots  may  dart  past,  or  a  silent  little  bird  flit 
rapidly  by ;  but  otherwise  no  sight  or  sound  of 
animated  life  breaks  on  the  eye  or  ear.  You  are 
hovering  on  the  confines  of  dream-land,  when,  lo  ! 
the  first  faint  crack  of  the  distant  whip,  the  first 
faint  far-distant  halloo.  The  sound  electrifies 
you.  You  grasp  your  gun,  strain  your  ear  to 
catch  the  slightest  sound,  and  eagerly  peer  forth 
to  see  if  the  expected  victims  are  approaching. 

12.  "The  sounds  slowly  and  gradually  draw 
near.     Then  '  an  old  man/  a  veritable  tough,  old, 
bounding  brigand,  jumps  slowly  past  you,  along 
the  ridge,  just  keeping  beyond  range.     After  him 
comes  a  black  wallaroo.     He  is  coming  right  up 
to  you,  when  your  next  neighbor,  with  his  far- 
reaching  gun,  levels  his  deadly  hail,  and  over  rolls 
the  wallaroo,  taken  from  your  very  teeth.     Now 
they  appear  in  twos  and  threes  over  the  ridge. 
You  have  ample  time  to  watch  their  every  mo- 
tion ;  they  cock  their  ears  for  the  sounds  of  the 
beaters  behind,  leisurely  lick  their  fore-paws,  nib- 


188         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

ble  at  a  tuft  of  grass,  and  then  jump  on  a  few 
paces  farther.  Crack !  goes  the  gun  to  your  right  ; 
over  topples  a  flyer ;  the  rest  hop  about  in  truly 
comical  bewilderment. 

13.  "  One  comes  your  way.     Bang  !  goes  your 
piece,  and  you  score  your  first  kangaroo.      The 
rest,  now  fairly  frightened,  bound  along,  and  the 
guns  go  Bang !  Bang !  down  the  line  as  each  shooter 
gets  his  chance.      Like  an  advancing  flood,  the 
tide  of  kangaroos  flows  swiftly  on.     You  can  not 
fire  fast  enough.     Before,  behind,  on  every  side, 
the  bounding  forms  go  swiftly  past.     All  is  noise, 
bustle,  mad  excitement.     No  time  now  to  watch 
your  neighbor.     On  they  come,  faster  and  faster. 
Suddenly  you    hear   a    faint,    subdued    thump, 
thump.     A  solitary  'old  man'  kangaroo,  all  un- 
conscious   of    danger,   is  approaching    you   at   a 
steady  pace.     The  echoes  of  the  rocky  hills  ring 
again  as  you  discharge  your  piece,  and  the  kanga- 
roo topples  over  before  you,  scattering  the  stones, 
dried  sticks,  and  leaves. 

14.  "Far  to   the   right    another  shot   echoes 
back  your  own.     Every  one  is  now  on  the  alert. 
Shots  ring  out  at  intervals.     On  the  slope  before 
you,  and   along  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  you  see 
numbers  of  marsupials,  in  groups,  in  clusters,  and 
in  dusky  lines,  hopping  about  in  comical  confu- 
sion.     The  cries  and  shouts  of  the  beaters,  the 
cracking  of  the  stock-whips,  and  thunder  of  horse- 
hoofs,  now  come  to  your  ears,  carried  by  the  wind 


THE  POUCHED  *  POSSUM  AND  ITS  KIN.     139 

over  the  ridge.  There  is  a  rush  of  frightened 
animals  past.  On  come  the  lines  of  kangaroos 
without  cessation.  You  are  now  fairly  warming 


Hunting  the  Kangaroo. 

to  your  work ;  you  are  getting  your  eye  in ;  you 
glance  at  your  neighbor.  You  fire  to  right,  to 
left,  front  and  behind,  as  some  terrified  flyer 
breaks  the  lines.  Occasionally  a  sharp  patter  of 
shot  against  your  tree,  or  overhead,  cutting  oft* 
twigs  or  leaves,  reminds  you  that  your  neighbor 
is  not  very  mindful  of  his  line  of  fire,  and  that 
the  element  of  danger  is  not  wanting  to  the 
sport." 


190         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 
THE    LEVIATHANS   OF  THE    DEEP. 

1.  THE  whale  is  not  a  fish,  although  it  swims, 

/  O  ' 

lives  in  the  element  of  the  fish,  and  is  fish-like. 
It  belongs  to  the  class  of  quadrupeds  and  milk- 
givers.  It  is  true  that  it  possesses  but  two  legs 
or  arms,  its  hind-legs  being  undeveloped.  But  it 
breathes  the  air,  is  warm-blooded,  and  brings  forth 
its  young  alive,  and  not  through  the  hatching  of 
eggs.  Of  the  large  whales  there  are  two  species, 
the  whalebone-whale  and  the  sperm-whale.  The 
former  have  no  teeth,  and  the  latter  have  teeth 
only  in  the  lower  jaw.  These  animals  are  sur- 
rounded by  a  great  amount  of  fat,  or  blubber,  as 
it  is  called,  which  serves  to  protect  both  against 
cold  and  injury  from  enemies. 

2.  The  whalebone-whale  is  found  only  in  the 
northern  seas.      It  feeds  upon  the  most  minute 
marine  animals,  which  move  in  immense   shoals 
many  square  miles  in  extent.     The  mouth  of  this 
animal  may  be  imagined  when  it  is  said  that  the 
lower  jaw  makes  an  arch  high  enough  for  a  man 
to  pass  under  on  horseback.     To  the  roof  of  this 
mouth  is   attached   the  hard   substance  we   call 
whalebone.     It  is  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  grate, 
and  constitutes  an  immense  sieve,  which  catches 
the  food  referred  to.     The  sperm-whale  contains 
more  blubber  and  no  whalebone.      This  fat  lies 


THE  LEVIATHANS  OF  THE  DEEP.  191 

chiefly  in  the  enormous  head,  which  forms  about 
one  third  of  the  whole  body.     "It  is  impossible 


TJie  Sperm-  Whale. 

from  any  description,"  says  a  writer,  "  to  form  any 
clear  idea  of  the  magnitude  or  shape  of  the  whale ; 
nor  can  we  be  made  to  comprehend  it  by  any 
familiar  comparison.  The  hugest  beast  by  its  side 
makes  little  more  impression  than  the  tiny  mouse ; 
for  the  largest-sized  whales  have  within  themselves 
the  fat,  the  bone,  and  the  muscle  of  a  thousand 
head  of  cattle. 

3.  "  Sporting  upon  the  surface  of  the  ocean,  it 
is  as  graceful  as  the  trout  of  the  mountain  stream ; 
it  skims  along  the  water  with  rapidity ;  it  dis- 
ports in  the  sun ;  it  stems  the  mountain  wave  ; 

9 


192         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

and,  in  its  joyous  exultation,  leaps  into  the  air; 
but,  like  the  hull  of  the  noble  ship,  if  stranded 
upon  the  shore,  it  becomes  a  wreck  in  form,  help- 
less, and  totally  unlike  the  thing  it  was  in  life. 
The  family  of  the  cetacea  are  wonderful  for  their 
swiftness  in  the  water,  and  yet  their  sole  propel- 
ling power  is  in  the  tail.  Unlike  the  fish,  instead 
of  being  perpendicular,  this  important  member 
lies  horizontally  upon  the  water,  and  is  used  with 
an  up  and  down  motion,  instead  of  from  side  to 
side.  It  not  only  drives  the  animal  through  the 
water,  but  is  its  weapon  of  defense.  The  ordi- 
nary speed  of  the  whale  is  ten  miles  an  hour,  but 
when  alarmed  he  will  go  fifteen. 

4.  "  The  whale  rarely  brings  forth  more  than 
one  young  at  a  time,  which  the  mother  nurses 
with  the  greatest  care,  even  after  it  has  attained 
the  length  of  thirty  feet.     At  its  birth  the  '  calf ' 
is   twelve  feet  long  and  weighs  a  ton.     The  in- 
tense affection  displayed  by  the  cow-whale  for  its 
progeny  has  ever  been  the  theme  of  admiration. 
Captain   Scoresby  relates    that,   having  struck    a 
calf,  in  hopes  of  securing  the  mother,  a  plan  often 
most  cruelly  pursued,  she  rose  and  wrapped  her 
fins,  or  rather  i  flippers,'  around  it,  as   a  mother 
would  fold  her  child  in  her  arms,  and  instantly 
dived,  dragging  about  a  hundred  fathoms  of  line 
from  the  boat. 

5.  "  Suddenly  she    came  to  the   surface,  furi- 
ously darting  to  and  fro,  and  charging  in  every 


THE  LEVIATHANS  OF  THE  DEEP. 


193 


direction,  exhibiting  all  the  while  the  signs  of  the 
most  intense- agony  and  solicitude.  For  some  time 
she  thus  continued  to  act,  and,  although  closely 
pursued  by  the  boats,  her  care  for  her  young  made 
her  entirely  regardless  of  the  danger  that  menaced 
on  every  side.  After  several  fruitless  trials,  she 
was  finally  harpooned,  but  even  then,  in  spite  of 
her  sufferings,  she  made  no  effort  for  her  own  pro- 
tection, but  clung  to  her  young  until  the  cruel 
harpoon  put  an  end  to  her  solicitude  by  death. 

6.  "To  the  cetacea,  or  whale  family,  belong 
the  dolphin,  the  porpoise,  and  the  narwhal.  The 
dolphins  have  had  the  fortune  of  being  idolized 


The  Porpoise. 

by  the  poets,  and  at  the  same  time  they  have  been 
cruelly   distorted   by  the   painter    and   sculptor. 


194         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

Their  length  varies  from  six  to  ten  feet,  and  they 
are  among  the  most  expert  swimmers  of  the  sea. 
The  porpoise  is  quite  familiar,  as  it  frequents  the 
bays  and  inlets  of  our  coast.  It  is  active,  fleet, 
and  voracious.  When  the  shoals  of  herring  and 
other  fish  periodically  visit  our  shores,  they  are 
harassed  by  the  porpoise,  which  at  these  times 
revels  in  a  perpetual  feast.  Their  momentary  ap- 
pearance above  the  surface  of  the  water  is  for  the 
purpose  of  breathing  ;  this  accomplished,  they 
plunge  down  again  in  search  of  food." 

7.  The  narwhal  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  Arctic 
seas,  and  is  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  long, 
with  a  beautifully  marbled  skin,  and  a  small,  tooth- 
less mouth.     Its  most  remarkable  feature  is  a  sin- 
gle tooth  or  horn  that  runs  out  from  the  head  in 
a  line  with  its  body  to  the  length  of  eight  to  ten 
feet.     This  horn  is  not  only  capable  of  piercing 
the  body  of  the  whale,  but  has  also  been  known 
to  drive  through  the  oaken  side  of  a  British  man- 
of-war,  mistaking  the  ship,  it  may  be,  for  a  living 
whale.      It  has  been  thought  by  some  that  the 
narwhal's  horn  is  used  to  break  the  ice  which  in 
some   cases  may  obstruct   its   access   to   the   air 
which  is  necessary  to  its  life. 

8.  The  capture  of  the  whale  always  produces 
a  scene  of  great  excitement.     When  the  leviathan 
is  first  sighted  by  the  watch,  the  cry  "  There  she 
blows  ! "  brings  all  on  deck.    The  whale,  on  seeing 
the  approaching  danger,  dives  below  the  surface, 


THE  LEVIATHANS  OF  THE  DEEP.  195 

and  swims  for  a  long  time  and  a  long  distance, 
the  time  often  reaching  an  hour  and  twenty  min- 
utes. But  with  each  individual  the  time  under 
water  is  so  regular  and  exact  that  the  whaler  can 
depend  on  it  to  a  minute. 

9.  Mr.  Beal  gives  an  interesting  narrative  of 
such  a  scene,  the  whale  having  plunged  beneath 
the  surface  on  seeing  his  pursuers,  consisting  of 
four  rival  parties :  "  True  to  his  time,  the  levia- 
than at  length  arose  right  ahead  of  the  boats,  and 
at  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from 
them.     The  excitement  among  the  crews  of  the 
various  boats  when  they  saw  his  first  spout  was 
tremendous ;   they  did   not  shout,  but  we   could 
hear  an  agitated  murmur  from  their  united  voices 
reverberating  along  the  surface  of  the  deep.    They 
flew  over  the  limpid  waves  at  a  rapid  rate ;  the 
mates  of  the  various  boats  cheered  their  respective 
crews  by  various  urgent  exclamations. 

10.  " i  Swing  on  your  oars,  my  boys,  for  the 
honor   of   the   Henrietta  ! '    cried   one.      '  Spring 
away,  hearties  ! '  shouted  another,  and  yet  scarcely 
able  to  breathe  from  anxiety  and  exertion;  'It's 
our   fish ! '   vociferated  a  third  as  he  passed  the 
rest  of  his  opponents  but  a  trifling  distance.    '  Lay 
on,  my  boys  ! '  cried  young  Clark,  our  first  mate, 
as  he  steered  the  boat  with  one  hand  and  pressed 
down  the  after-oar  with  the  other ;  '  she'll  be  ours 
yet ;  let's  have  a  strong  pull,  a  long  pull,  and  a 
pull  all  together ! '  he  exclaimed,  as  he  paused  from 


196         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

his  exertions  at  the  after-oar,  which  brought  up 
his  boat  quite  abreast  of  the  foremost. 

11.  "  But  the  giant  of  the  ocean,  who  was  only 
a  short  distance  before  them,  now  appeared  rather 
'gallied '  or  frightened,  having  probably  seen  or 
heard  the  boats,  and,  as  he  puffed  up  his  spout  to 
a  great  height  and  reared  his  enormous  head,  he 
increased  his  speed,  and  went  along  quite  as  fast 
as  the  boats,  but  for  only  two  or  three  minutes, 
when  he  appeared  to  get  perfectly  quiet  again, 
while   the  boats  gained   rapidly  upon  him,    and 
were  soon  close  in  his  wake.     i  Stand  up  ! '  cried 
young  Clark  to  the  harpooner,  who  is  also  the 
bow-oarsman ;  while  the  same  order  was  instantly 
given  by  his  opponent,  whose  boat  was  abreast  of 
our  mate's,  with  the  rest  close  to  them.     The  or- 
ders were  instantly  obeyed.    The  monster  plunged 
through  the  main  quickly,  but  the  boats  gained 
upon  him  every  moment,  when  the  agitation  of  all 
parties  became  intense,  and  a  general  cry  of  ( Dart, 
dart ! '  broke  from  the  hindmost  boats,  who  urged 
their  friends,  fearful  of  delay. 

12.  "The  uproar  became  excessive,  and  while 
the  tumult  of  voices,  and  the  working  and  splash- 
ing of  the  oars,  rolled  along  the  surface  of  the 
deep,  both  the  harpooners  darted  their  weapons 
together,  which,  if  they  had  both  struck  the  whale, 
would  have  originated  a  contention  between  them 
regarding  the  claims.    But,  as  it  happened,  neither 
of  them  had  that  good  fortune ;  for,  at  the  mo- 


THE  LEVIATHANS   OF  THE  DEEP.  197 

ment  of  their  darting  the  harpoons,  the  whale  de- 
scended like  a  shot  and  avoided  their  infliction, 
leaving  nothing  but  a  white  and  green  looking  vor- 
tex in  the  disturbed  blue  ocean  to  mark  the  spot 
where  his  monstrous  form  so  lately  floated. 

1 3.  "  Our  captain,  feeling  irritated  at  the  ill- 
success  of  the  mate,  now  ordered  his  own  boat  to 
be  lowered,  intending  to  make  one  in  the  chase 
himself ;  but,  just  as  he  had  parted  from  the  ship, 
a  tremendous  shout  arose  from  the  people  in  our 
own  boats,  joined  with  a  loud  murmuring  from 
the  rest  of  the  boats1  crews ;  for  the  whale,  not 
having  had  all  its  spoutings  out,  had  now  risen  to 
finish  them,  and  was  coming  to  windward  at  a 
quick  rate  right  toward  our  ship.      The  captain 
saw  his  favorable  situation  in  a  moment,  and  stood 
to  waylay  him  as  he  came  careening  along,  throw- 
ing his  enormous  head  completely  out  of  the  water. 
He  soon  came,  and  caught  sight  of  the  boat  just  as 
he  got  within  dart.     The  vast  animal  rolled  him- 
self over  in  agony  of  fear,  but  it  was  too  late ;  the 
harpoon  was  hurled  with  excellent  aim,  and  was 
plunged  deeply  into  his  side  near  the  fln. 

14.  "After  an  hour's  exertion,  six  of  the  ten 
boats  got  fast  to  him  with  their  harpoons,  but  not 
one  could  get  near  enough  to  give  him  a  fatal 
lance.     He  towed  them  all  in  various  directions, 
taking  care  to  descend  below  the  surface  the  mo- 
ment a  boat  drew  near ;  but  at  last,  becoming  weak 
from  his  numerous  and  deep  wounds,  he  grew  less 


198         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

capable  of  avoiding  his  foes,  which  gave  an  oppor- 
tunity for  one  of  them  to  pierce  him  to  the  life ! " 
15.  The  huge  body  is  now  towed  to  the  ship,  a 
hole  is  cut  into  the  blubber  of  the  head,  into  which 
a  hook  is  inserted,  the  head  is  cut  open,  the  sper- 
maceti dipped  out ;  the  remainder  of  the  head  and 
the  blubber  are  stowed  away  in  casks  in  the  ship's 
hold,  the  oil  to  be  afterward  extracted  by  expo- 
sure to  heat. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 
THE    SEA-MONSTER  OF  THE   AMAZON. 

1.  A  STRANGE  kind  of  animal,  called  the  "  mana- 
tee," inhabits  the  Amazon  and  its  tributaries.     It 
seems  to  be  a  connecting-link  between  the  cetacea 
and  the  pachyderms,  having  a  whale's  tail  and  flip- 
pers, and  a  cow's  stomach.     It  lives  in  the  water, 
but  eats  the  grass  and  tender  herbage  that  grow 
along  the  banks  of  the  stream  it  inhabits.     It  is 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  feet  in  length,  and  weighs 
from  1,000  to  1,500  pounds. 

2.  It  is  not  a  very  intelligent  animal,  but  is 
something  between  a  mole  and  a  pig.     Take  a  pig, 
tie  his   hind-legs  and  curly  tail   together,  flatten 
them  into  a  tail  like  that  of  a  beaver,  turn  his  two 
fore-feet  into  paddles,  like  the  flippers  of  a  turtle, 
give  him  nostrils  with  valves  like  those  of  the  seal, 
reduce  his  eyes  to  mole's  eyes,  and  you  have  the 


THE  SEA-MONSTER   OF  THE  AMAZON.         199 

manatee.  The  tail  is  fan-shaped,  and  is  placed  flat 
side  downward,  instead  of  edgewise,  as  in  fish. 
When  the  manatee  is  quiet  he  is  seated  at  the 
bottom  of  the  river,  and  sits  upon  his  tail.  It  is  a 
true  herbivorous  animal,  and  is  sometimes  called 
the  "water  buffalo/' 

3.  It  has  been  compared  to  the  seal,  which  it 
somewhat  resembles  in  shape,  but  in  habits  there 
is  a  marked  contrast  between   the  two  animals. 
The  manatee  lives  perpetually  in  the  water,  and, 
when  alone  by  himself,  his  little  eyes  are  so  sharp, 
and  his  hearing  so  acute,  that  the  hunter  finds  it  a 
difficult  matter  to  approach  him.     In  calm  weather 
they  swim  in  great  droves  near  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  but   during  the  flood  they   come   so   near 
the  land  that  a  person  can  stroke  them  with  the 
hand.     They  live  in  families,  and  when  one  has 
been  captured,  its  mate  will  follow  to  the  very 
shore,  and  for  many  days  will  keep  watch  near 
the  place  where  the  hunters  landed. 

4.  The  manatee's  principal  means  of  propulsion 
is  its  tail,  which  is  flat,  rounded  in  outline,  three 
or  four  feet  broad,  and  very  powerful.      But  in 
addition  to  this  it  possesses  two  pectoral  fins  or 
armlets,  and  these  enable  the  animal  to  raise  him- 
self out  of  the  water  to  reach  the  herbage  high  on 
the  banks.     The  armlets  also  serve  the  female  to 
hold   her  young — always  two  in  number — until 
they  are  old  enough  to  eat  grass ;  and  it  is  a  curi- 
ous fact  that  although  the  mother  often  delights 


200 


FL7ERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 


in  gambols,  and  jumps  several  feet  out  of  water, 
yet  she  never  loses  hold  of  her  twins. 


The  Manatee  or  Sea-  Cow  grazing. 

5.  The  manatee  abounds  in  the  interlaced 
tributaries  of  the  Amazon  and  Orinoco,  and  in 
the  lagoons  formed  by  these  rivers  during  the 
rainy  season,  where  he  finds  abundance  of  his 
favorite  food.  Of  this  habit  of  the  animal  the 
Indians  take  advantage  to  secure  a  large  amount 
of  game,  choosing  some  particular  lagoon  for 
their  work.  When  the  water  begins  to  drain  off 
as  the  rivers  fall,  they  construct  across  the  chan- 
nel a  strong  barricade.  This  consists  of  large 
stakes  driven  closely  together,  allowing  the  water 
to  slowly  drain  through,  but  stopping  the  passage 
of  any  large  body.  This  dam  is  strengthened  in 
every  possible  way  to  resist  the  weight  of  the 
enormous  mass  of  manatees,  turtle,  and  fish  on 
their  way  to  the  river.  The  lagoon  then  becomes 


THE  SEA-MONSTER   OF  THE  AMAZON.         201 

a  fish  magazine.  It  is  scarcely  credible  the  num- 
ber and  size  of  the  creatures  secured  in  this  way, 
whole  Indian  tribes  subsisting  for  months  together 
on  the  supply  afforded  by  one  of  these  reservoirs. 

6.  But  as  the  lagoons  will  drain  off  toward  the 
close  of  the  rainy  season,  and  the  Indians  can  not 
exhaust  the  supply  of  fish  within,  they  are  com- 
pelled at  last  to  remove  the  barricade  and  let  the 
last  of  the  imprisoned  creatures  swim  off  to  the 
rivers.      It  is  related   that,  on  one  occasion,  the 
Indians  having  neglected  this  precaution  until  too 
late,  more  than  three  thousand  manatees,  and  a 
still  greater  multitude  of  fish,  perished.    Of  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  lagoon,  the  turtles  alone  found 
themselves  in  favorable  conditions. 

7.  The  address  displayed  by  an  Indian  of  the 
Orinoco  in  capturing  one  of  these  monsters  with  a 
harpoon,  his  only  assistant,  his  wife,  to  paddle  and 
steer  the  canoe,  is  something  wonderful.     While 
the  woman  propels  the  canoe  the  man  stands  erect 
at  the  bow,  watching  the  moment  when  the  mana- 
tee comes  up  to  the  surface  to  breathe,  which  it 
does  every  few  minutes.      Off  flies   the  double- 
barbed  harpoon  from  the  hands  of  the  fisherman, 
and  implants  itself  in  the  thick  hide  of  the  doomed 
monster.     The  manatee  no  sooner  feels  the  pierc- 
ing blow  than  away  he  darts  with  fearful  rapidity, 
dragging  along  after  it  the  frail  canoe,  to  the  bow 
of  which  is  attached  one  end  of  the  thong,  while 
the  other  is  firmly  secured  in  the  iron  head  of 


202         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

the  harpoon.  This  thong  is  made  from  the  hide 
of  a  manatee,  and  is  long  enough  to  give  the  mon- 
ster some  play. 

8.  After  vain  endeavors  to  avoid  the  danger 
that  threatens  it,  now  dashing  rapidly  against  the 


Capturing  a  Manatee  or  Sea-  Cow. 

stream  for  an  hour,  now  seeking  the  calm  surface 
of  a  neighboring  lagoon,  during  which  time  the 
sporting  couple  manage  with  difficulty  to  keep 
their  seats  at  the  bottom  of  the  canoe,  holding  fast 
to  the  sides  with  both  hands,  the  monster,  bleed- 
ing and  exhausted,  slackens  its  pace  and  finally 
stops  altogether. 

9.  Now  the  hunter  commences  to  pull  toward 
it  with  much  caution ;  but  no  sooner  does  the  mana- 
tee see  the  dreaded  canoe  than  off  it  sets  anew  at 
the  same  lightning  speed,  but  of  shorter  duration. 


THE  SEA-MONSTER   OF  THE  AMAZON.         203 

Again  the  hunter  pulls  the  game  toward  him,  and 
again  it  endeavors  to  get  away ;  but,  having  lost 
nearly  all  its  strength,  it  stops,  rolls  on  its  back, 
and  awaits  its  fate  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
The  canoe  is  now  brought  alongside  of  the  cap- 
tive, and,  without  further  ceremony,  the  Indian 
cuts  it  open  with  his  knife. 

10.  And  now  what  shall  he  do  with  it  in  the 
midst  of  a  river  or  lagoon  four  or  five  miles  broad  ? 
How  can  this  carcass,  weighing  a  thousand  pounds, 
be  safely  landed  on  the  shore  ?     Nothing  easier,  as 
we  shall  see.    Having  secured  their  game,  the  hunt- 
ers plunge  in  the  water,  swimming  all  the  while 
with  one  hand  and  foot,  while  with  the  other  they 
turn  over  the  canoe  until  it  partly  fills  with  water, 
which  brings  it  on  a  level  with  the  carcass  of  the 
manatee.      This  accomplished,  the  rest    is  easily 
done  by  sliding  the  canoe  under  the  carcass,  and 
then  bailing  out  the  water  by  means  of  the  cala- 
bash-cups which  they  wear  on  their  heads  in  place 
of  hats. 

11.  As  the  water  goes  out,  the  canoe  rises  above 
the  surface,  and,  when  sufficiently  high,  the  hus- 
band leaps  on  to  the  head  of  the  animal  and  calm- 
ly takes  his  seat.     The  wife  finds  a  seat  on  the 
broad  tail  of  the  fishy  monster,  and  the  two  slowly 
paddle  toward  the  shore.     They  are  eagerly  wel- 
comed by  numerous  friends  and  relatives,  and  the 
flesh  is  soon  cut  up  and  distributed  among  them. 

Paez. 


204:         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

CHAPTER    XXX. 
DWELLERS   OF   SEA-SHORE   AND    ICE. 

1.  THE  seal,  like  the  whale,  claims  a  place  with 
the  four-footed  tribes.     "  The  seal  family,"  says 
Hartwig,  "  forms  a  still  nearer  approach  to  quad- 
rupeds, as  here  hind-feet  begin  to  make  their  ap- 
pearance.    The  shortness  of  these  extremities  ren- 
ders their  movements  upon  land  generally  awkward 
and  slow,  but  they  make  up  for  this  deficiency  by 
an  uncommon  activity  in  the  water.     Their  body, 
tapering  fish-like  from  the  shoulders  to  the  tail; 
their  abundance  of  fat,  the  lightness  of  which  is 
so  favorable  to  swimming;  the  position  of  their 
feet,  admirably  formed  for  rowing,  paddling,  and 
steering — their  whole  economy,  in  a  word,  is  calcu- 
lated for  the  sea.     Although  citizens  of  two  worlds, 
their  real  element  is  evidently  the  water,  from  which 
their  food  is  exclusively  derived. 

2.  "  Seals  are  found  in  almost  all  seas,  but  they 
particularly  abound  on  the  coasts  of  the  colder  re- 
gions of  the  earth,  and  diminish  in  size  and  num- 
bers as  they  approach  the  torrid  zone.     Small  seals 
are  found  near  Surinam,  but  the  giants  of  the 
family — the  huge  sea-elephant,  the  sea-lion,  the  sea- 
bear — belong  exclusively  to  those  higher  latitudes 
which  the  sun  visits  only  with  slanting  rays,  or 
where  the  winter  forms  a  dreary  and  continuous 
night.     How  wonderful  to  see  the  desolate  coasts 


DWELLERS  OF  SEA-SHORE  AND  ICE. 


205 


of  the  icy  seas  peopled  by  such  herds  of  great, 
warm-blooded  mammalia !     But  there,  where  the 


Harp- Seal  and  Walrus. 

dry  land  produces  only  the  scantiest  vegetation, 
the  beautiful  sea  teems  with  fishes,  affording 
abundance  to  the  hungry  seals. 

3.  "The  Greenland  Esquimau,  whose  ice- 
bound fatherland  affords  no  food  but  berries,  is 
also  obliged  to  look  to  the  sea  for  his  subsistence ; 
and  the  seal  plays  as  important  a  part  in  his  hum- 
ble existence  as  the  reindeer  among  the  Lapland- 
ers, or  the  camel  among  the  Bedouins  of  the  desert. 
Its  flesh  and  fat  form  his  principal  food ;  from  its 


206         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

skin  he  makes  his  boat,  his  tent,  his  dress ;  from 
its  sinews  and  bones,  his  thread  and  needles,  his 
fishing-line,  and  bow-strings.  Thus,  on  the  frozen 
confines  of  the  Polar  Sea,  as  in  many  other  parts 
of  the  world,  we  find  the  existence  of  man  almost  en- 
tirely depending  on  that  of  a  single  class  of  animals. 

4.  "But  the  Bedouin  who  tends  the  patient 
dromedary,  or  the  Laplander  who  feeds  on  the 
flesh  and  milk  of  the  domestic  reindeer,  enjoys  an 
easy  life  when  compared  to  the  Esquimau,  who, 
to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  his  sharp  appetite,  is  in 
all  seasons  obliged  to  brave  all  the  perils  of  the 
Arctic  Ocean.     Sometimes  he  waits  patiently  for 
hours  in  the  cold  fog,  until  a  seal  rises  to  the  sur- 
face, or  else  he  warily  approaches  a  herd  basking 
or  sleeping  on  the  ice-blocks,  for  the  least  noise 
awakens  the  watchful  animals.     Sometimes  he  has 
recourse  to  stratagem,  covers  himself  with  a  seal- 
skin, and,  imitating  the  movements  and  gestures 
of  the  deceived  phocse,  introduces  himself  into  the 
midst  of  the  unsuspecting  troup. 

5.  "  We  read  in  the  '  Odyssey '  how  the  dark- 
featured  hero  Menelaus  deigned   to   conceal   his 
royal  limbs  under  a  fresh  seal-skin   in  order  to 
surprise  Proteus,  the  infallible  seer ;  and  w^hat  suf- 
ferings his  olfactory  organs  underwent  from  the 

'  Unsavory  stench  of  oil  and  brackish  ooze/ 

until  the  fair  sea-nymph  Erdothea,  whom  the  gal- 
lant chief  implored  in  his  distress, 


DWELLERS  OF  SEA-SHORE  AND  ICE.          207 
'  With  nectar'd  drops  the  sickening  sea  restored.' 

Fortunately  for  the  Esquimaux,  his  nose  is  less 
sensitive  than  that  of  a  son  of  Atreus,  and,  with- 
out ambrosia,  he  willingly  dons  a  disguise  which 
affords  his  unsophisticated  taste  the  pleasure  of  a 
theatrical  entertainment,  combined  with  the  profit 
of  a  savory  prize. 

6.  "  Physical  strength,  dexterity,  caution,  quick- 
ness of  eye,  and  acuteness  of  hearing,  are  the  indis- 
pensable qualities  of  the  Esquimaux,  and  require 
to  be  exercised  and  developed  from  the  tenderest 
years.     The  boy  of  fifteen  must  be  as  perfect  a 
seal-catcher  as  his  father,  and  be  able  to  make  all 
the  instruments  necessary  for  the  chase.     In  these 
inhospitable  regions  every  one  is  obliged  to  rely 
on  himself  alone ;  then,  when  all  the  powers  of 
body  and  mind  are  taxed  to  the  utmost  for  the 
mere  sustenance  of  life,  weakness  and  want  of  dex- 
terity must  evidently  succumb." 

7.  The  sea-elephant,  inhabiting  the  coasts  of 
Chili,  Terra  del  Fuego,  and  the  shores  of  New  Zea- 
land, is  one  of  the  ugliest  of  all  beasts.     It  is  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  long,  and,  seen  at  a  dis- 
tance, it  might  be  taken  for  an  enormous  snail. 
Its  head  is  wide  and  short,  with  bristles  over  the 
eyes;   the  upper  lip   is   longer  than   the   lower, 
and   the   snout   stands    out   like  a  short  probos- 
cis.     Its   fore-feet  are  small,  ending  in  five  long 
claws;   the   hind-feet   are    longer,   with   clawless 
toes.     The  tail  is  thick,  and  shaped  like  a  cone. 


208        FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

Its  value  consists  in  the  oil  obtained  from  its  car- 
cass. 

8.  "  Though  not  uniform  in  size,"  says  Charles 
Lauman,  "they  not  infrequently  attain  a  length 


The  Sea-Elephant. 

of  thirty  feet  and  a  circumference  of  fifteen  or 
eighteen  feet,  the  blubber  of  a  single  individual 
sometimes  yielding  three  hundred  gallons  of  oil, 
which  is  considered  more  valuable  than  that  of 
the  whale.  The  grown  males  have  a  lengthened 
snout,  which  gives  them  the  name  they  bear ; 
their  teeth  are  short  and  deeply  rooted,  the  molars 
small  and  pointed,  and  the  power  of  their  jaws  so 
great  that  an  angry  male  specimen  has  been  known 
to  seize  a  dead  comrade,  weighing  a  ton,  and 


DWELLERS  OF  SEA-SHORE  AND  ICE.         209 

toss  him  a  considerable  distance  as  a  dog  would 
a  mouse. 

9.  "  When  quite  young  they  are  called  silver- 
gray  pups  from  their  color,  but  as  they  mature 
they  become  brown,  the  males  inclining  to  a  dark 
blue,  and  the  females  to  a  yellow  shade ;  their  home 
is  in  the  sea,  but  they  have  a  fashion  of  spending 
much  of  their  time  upon  the  shore,  occasionally 
going  inland  two  or  three  miles  and  luxuriating  in 
fresh-water  marshes  ;  they  are  sluggish  in  their 
movements  and  somewhat  stupid,  and  in  certain 
localities  they  congregate  in  large  herds  or  corrals. 
Their  tongues  are  used  by  the  sailors  as  a  welcome 
delicacy,   and    by   the   Yankee   boys    frequently 
worked  into  mince-pies ;  the  scraps  which  are  left 
after  the  blubber  has  been  tried  out  are  employed 
as  fuel  with  which  the  trying  process  is  carried  on. 
Their  food  is  supposed  to  consist  chiefly  of  cuttle- 
fish and  sea- weed,  and  the  instrument  employed  in 
killing  them  is  a  sharp  lance,  which  penetrates  the 
throat  and  causes  them  to  bleed  to  death. 

10.  "  The  mothers  usually  remain  in  charge  of 
their  young  about  two  months,  and  during  all  that 
time  the  male  occupies  a  convenient  eminence,  with 
his  head  generally  toward  the  sea,  and  acts  as  sen- 
tinel to  prevent  the  mothers  from  abandoning  their 
young.     In  former  times  the  men  who  hunted  them 
invariably  spared  all  the  cubs  they  met,  but  in  these 
latter  days  the  young  and  old  are  slaughtered  in- 
discriminately."    The  sea-lions,  so  common  in  our 


210         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

zoological  gardens,  are  cousins  of  the  seal,  and 

abound  along  the  coast  of  the  Pacific  as  far  as  the 

Straits  of  Magellan,  where  they  are  most  numerous. 

11.  Another  relative  of  the  seal  is  the  walrus, 


The  Sea-Lion. 

which  has  been  described  at  length  by  Dr.  Kane : 
"  The  head  of  the  walrus  has  not  the  characteristic 
oval  of  the  seal ;  on  the  contrary,  the  frontal  bone 
is  so  covered  as  to  present  a  steep  descent  to  the 
eyes,  and  a  square,  blocked-out  aspect  to  the  upper 
face.  The  muzzle  is  less  protruding  than  the  seal's, 
and  the  cheeks  and  lips  are  completely  masked  by 
the  heavy,  quill-like  bristles.  Add  to  this  the  tusks 
as  a  garniture  to  the  lower  face,  and  you  have  for 
the  walrus  a  grim,  ferocious  aspect,  peculiarly  his 


DWELLERS  OF  SEA-SHORE  AND  ICE. 


211 


own.  I  have  seen  him  with  tusks  nearly  thirty 
inches  long ;  his  body  not  less  than  eighteen  feet. 
When  of  this  size  he  certainly  reminds  you  of  the 
elephant  more  than  any  other  living  monster." 

12.  In  his  description  of  an  Esquimaux  hunt 
for  the  walrus,  Dr.  Kane  writes :  "  After  a  while 
Myouk  became  convinced,  from  signs  or  sounds,  or 


Hunting  the  Walrus. 

both,  that  the  walrus  were  waiting  for  him  in  a 
small  space  of  recently  open  water  that  was  glazed 
over  with  a  few  days'  growth  of  ice ;  and,  moving 
gently  on,  they  soon  heard  the  characteristic  bel- 
low. The  walrus,  like  some  of  the  higher  order 
of  beings  to  which  he  has  been  compared,  is  fond 
of  his  own  music,  and  will  lie  for  hours  listening 
to  himself.  His  vocalization  is  something  between 


212         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

the  mooing  of  a  cow  and  the  deepest  baying  of  a 
mastiff — very  round  and  full,  with  its  barks  of  de- 
tached notes  repeated  rather  quickly  seven  to  nine 
times  in  succession. 

13.  "The  party  now  formed  in  single  file,  fol- 
lowing in  each  other's  steps,  and  wound  behind 
hummocks  and  ridges  in   a  serpentine   approach 
toward   a   group  of  pond-like   discolorations,  re- 
cently frozen  ice-spots,  but  surrounded  by  firmer 
and  older  ice.     When  within  half  a  mile  of  these, 
the  line  broke,  and  each  man  crawled  toward  a 
separate  pool ;  Morton,  on  his  hands  and  knees,  fol- 
lowing  Myouk.     In   a  few  minutes   the   walrus 
were  in  sight.     They  were  five  in  number,  rising 
at  intervals  through  the  ice  in  a  body,  and  break- 
ing it  up  with  an  explosive  puff  that  might  be 
heard  for  miles.     Two  large,  grim-looking  males 
were  conspicuous  as  leaders  of  the  group. 

14.  "Now  for  the  marvel  of  the  craft.     When 
the  walrus  is  above  water,  the  hunter  is  flat  and 
motionless ;  as  he  begins  to  sink,  the  hunter  is 
alert  and  ready  for  a  spring.     The  animal's  head 
is  hardly  below  the  water-line  before  every  man 
is  on  a  rapid  run ;  and  again,  as  if  by  instinct,  be- 
fore the  beast  returns,  all  are  motionless,  behind 
protecting  knolls  of  ice.     They  seem  to  know  be- 
forehand not  only  the  time  he  will  be  absent,  but 
the  very  spot  at  which  he  will  reappear.     In  this 
way  Myouk,  with  Morton  at  his  heels,  has  reached 
a  thin  plate  of  ice,  hardly  strong  enough  to  bear 


THE  FLYING  MOUSE.  213 

them,  at  the  very  brink  of  the  water-pool  the  wal- 
rus are  curveting  in. 

15.  "Myouk,  till  now  stupid,  seems  to  waken 
with  excitement.  His  coil  of  walrus-hide,  a  well- 
trimmed  line  of  many  fathoms'  length,  is  lying  at 
his  side.  He  fixes  one  end  of  it  in  an  iron  barb, 
and  fastens  this  loosely  by  a  socket  upon  a  shaft 
of  unicorn's  horn ;  the  other  end  is  already  looped, 
or,  as  sailors  would  say,  i  doubled  in  in  a  bight.' 
It  is  the  work  of  a  moment.  He  has  grasped  the 
harpoon;  the  water  is  in  motion.  Puffing  with 
pent-up  respiration,  the  walrus  is  within  a  couple 
of  fathoms,  close  before  him.  Myouk  rises  slowly, 
his  right  arm  thrown  back,  the  left  flat  at  his  side. 
The  walrus  looks  about  him,  shaking  the  water 
from  his  crest.  Myouk  throws  up  his  left  arm, 
and  the  animal,  rising  breast  high,  fixes  one  look 
before  he  plunges.  It  has  cost  him  all  that  curi- 
osity can  cost ;  the  harpoon  is  buried  under  his 
left  flipper." 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 
THE   FLYING   MOUSE. 


1.  MOST  people,  if  asked  the  question,  What  is 
a  bat  ?  would  be  likely  to  say  that  it  is  a  kind  of 
bird.  But  there  is  nothing  about  the  bat  that 
likens  it  to  a  bird,  except  that  it  flies  in  the  air. 
In  its  structure  and  habits  it  is  a  mammal ;  it  lays 


214         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

no  eggs,  it  brings  forth  its  young  alive,  and  for 
flying  it  has  no  regular  wings.  "  In  general  form," 
says  Mr.  Wood,  "the  bats  are  clearly  separated 
from  any  other  group  of  animals,  and,  by  evident 
peculiarities  of  structure,  can  be  recognized  by  the 
most  hasty  glance.  The  first  peculiarity  in  the 
bat  which  strikes  the  eye  is  the  wide  and  delicate 
membrane  which  stretches  round  the  body,  and 
which  is  used  in  the  place  of  the  wings  with  which 
birds  are  furnished.  In  order  to  support  this 
beautiful  membrane,  to  extend  it  to  its  requisite 
width,  and  to  strike  the  air  with  it  for  the  pur- 
poses of  flight,  the  bones  of  the  fore-part  of  the 
body  are  specially  formed. 

2.  "The  finger-bones  are  strangely  dispropor- 
tioned  to  the  remainder  of  the  body,  the  middle 
finger  being  considerably  longer  than  the  head  and 
body  together.     The  thumb  is  very  much  shorter 
than  any  of  the  fingers,  and  furnished  with  a  sharp 
and  curved  claw.     By  means  of  this  claw  the  bat 
is  enabled  to  walk  along  a  level  surface,  and  to 
attach  itself  to  any  object  that  may  be  convenient. 
The   lower  portions  of   the  body  and   limbs  are 
singularly  small  in  proportion  to  the  upper  limbs. 
The  legs  are  short  and  slender,  and  so  arranged 
that  the  feet  are  rather  turned  outward,  for  the 
purpose  of  using  the  claws  freely. 

3.  "  One  of  the  most  common,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  most  elegant,  of  the  Cheiroptera,  or  wing- 
handed  animals,  is  the  well-known  long-eared  bat. 


THE  FLYING  MOUSE. 


215 


I  have  possessed  several  specimens  of  this  bat,  one 
of   which  was   captured   under  peculiar   circum- 


The  Long-eared  English  Bat. 

stances.  It  had  entered  a  grocer's  shop,  and,  to  the 
consternation  of  the  grocer  and  his  assistant,  had 
got  among  the  sugar-loaves  which  were  piled  on  the 
upper  shelf.  So  terrible  a  foe  as  the  bat  (nearly 
two  inches  long)  put  to  rout  their  united  forces, 
and,  beyond  poking  at  it  with  a  broom  as  it  cow- 
ered behind  the  sugar,  no  attempts  were  made  to 
dislodge  it.  At  this  juncture  my  aid  was  invoked, 
and  I  accordingly  drew  the  bat  from  its  hiding- 
place.  It  did  its  best  to  bite,  but  its  tiny  teeth 
could  do  no  damage  even  to  a  sensitive  skin.  . 
4.  "The  bat  was  then  placed  in  an  empty 

mouse-cage,  and  soon  became  sufficiently  familiar 
10 


216         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,  AND  SWIMMERS. 

to  eat  and  drink  under  observation.  It  would 
never  eat  flies,  although  many  of  these  insects  were 
offered,  and  seemed  to  prefer  small  bits  of  raw 
beef  to  any  other  food.  It  was  a  troublesome 
animal  to  feed,  for  it  would  not  touch  meat  unless 
it  was  freshly  cut  and  quite  moist,  forcing  me  to 
prepare  morsels  fit  for  its  dainty  maw  six  or  seven 
times  daily.  It  spent  the  day  at  the  top  or  on  the 


A  Bat  walking. 

side  of  its  cage,  being  suspended  by  its  hinder 
claws,  and  would  occasionally  descend  in  order 
to  feed  and  drink.  While  eating,  it  w^ould  lower 
itself  from  the  cage  roof,  and  crawl  along  the  floor 
until  it  reached  the  piece  of  meat.  The  wings 


THE  FLYING  MOUSE.  217 

were  then  thrown  forward  so  as  to  cover  the  food, 
and  under  the  shelter  of  its  wings  the  bat  would 
drop  its  head  over  the  meat  and  then  eat  it. 

5.  "On  account  of   the  sharp  surface  of   its 
teeth,  it  could  not  eat  its  food  quietly,  but  was 
forced  to  make  a  series  of  pecking  bites,  something 
like  a  cat  in  similar  circumstances.    It  would  drink 
in  several  ways,  sometimes    crawling  up  to  the 
water- vessel  and  putting  its  head  into  the  water, 
but  usually  lowering  itself  down  the  side  of  the 
cage  until  its  nose  dipped  in  the  liquid.     When  it 
had  thus  satisfied  its  thirst,  it  would  reascend  to 
the  roof,  fold  its  wings  about  itself,  and  betake 
itself  to  slumber  once  more. 

6.  "  I  kept  the  little  animal  some  time,  but  it 
did  not  appear  to  thrive,  having,  in  all  probability, 
been  hurt  by  the  broom-handle  which  had  been 
used  so  freely  against  it,  and  at  last  was  found 
dead  in  its  cage  from  no  apparent  cause.    Although 
dead,  it  still  hung  suspended,  and  the  only  circum- 
stance that  appeared  strange  in  its  attitude  was 
that  the  wings  drooped  downward  instead  of  being 
wrapped  tightly  around  the  body." 

7.  It  is  well  known  that  bats  fly  only  by  night, 
and  that  their  chief  diet  is  flies,  although  the  fly- 
ing foxes  of  South  America  eat  fruit.     They  also 
spend  the  winter  in  that  peculiar  state  of  sleep 
called  hibernation.     For  this  purpose  they  assem- 
ble in  large  numbers  in  caverns,  hollow  trees,  or 
the  roofs  of  buildings,  and  hang  by  their  claws 


218         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

with  their  heads  downward.  During  this  period 
they  breathe  slightly,  and  the  blood  circulates  very 
slowly.  The  flight  of  the  bat  is  fluttering,  but  it 
is  a  true  flight  and  not  like  the  spring  of  flying- 
fish  and  flying-squirrels.  The  human  expression 
in  the  head  of  the  bat  has  often  been  noted. 

8.  The  flying-fox,  fox-bat,  or  kalong  of  Java, 
is  dull  black  in  color,  except  the  upper  part  of  the 
neck,  which  is  reddish.     It  is  a  giant  of  its  kind, 
measuring,  from  tip  to  tip  of  its  wings,  five  feet. 
"  They  pass  the  greater  part  of  the  day  in  sleep, 
hanging  motionless,  ranged  in  succession,  with  the 
head  downward,  the  membrane  folded  about  the 
body,  and  often  in  close  contact.    They  have  little 
resemblance  to  human  beings,  and  are  easily  mis- 
taken for  a  part  of  the  tree,  or  for  a  fruit  of  un- 
common size,  suspended  from  its  branches.      In 
general  these   societies   preserve    perfect   silence 
during  the  day,  but  if  they  are    disturbed  they 
emit  sharp,  piercing  cries.     Soon  after  sunset  they 
gradually  quit  their  hold  and  pursue  their  noctur- 
nal flight  in  quest  of  food,  which  consists  chiefly 
of  the  fruits  of  plantations  and  villages. 

9.  "They  direct  their  course  by  unerring  in- 
stinct to  the  forests,  villages,  and  plantations,  at- 
tacking and  devouring  every  kind  of  fruit,  from 
the   abundant    and    useful   cocoa-nut  which  sur- 
rounds the  dwellings  of  the  meanest  peasantry  to 
the  more  rare  and  delicate  productions  cultivated 
with  care  by  princes  and  chiefs.     Delicate  fruits 


THE  FLYING  MOUSE.  219 

are  only  secured  by  means  of  a  loose  net  or  basket 
skillfully  constructed  of  split  bamboo." 

10.  The  vampire-bat  has   its  home  in  South 
America,  covering  a  vast  extent  of  territory  from 


The  Common  Bat. 

Paraguay  to  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.  The  length 
of  its  body  is  only  six  inches,  including  its  tail, 
and  the  spread  of  its  wings  about  two  feet.  The 
color  of  its  fur  is  like  that  of  the  mouse.  Strange 
stories  have  been  told  of  these  specter  vampires, 
and  it  has  been  a  much-debated  question  whether 
or  not  they  bite  human  beings.  The  fact,  how- 
ever, is  settled  by  Mr.  Watterton :  "  As  there  was 
a  free  entrance  and  exit  to  the  vampire  in  the  loft 
where  I  slept,  I  had  many  a  fine  opportunity  of 
paying  attention  to  this  nocturnal  surgeon.  He 
does  not  always  live  on  blood.  When  the  moon 
shone  bright,  and  the  fruit  of  the  banana-tree  was 
ripe,  I  could  see  him  approach  and  eat  it.  He 


220         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

would  also  bring  into  the  loft,  from  the  forest,  a 
green,  round  fruit  something  like  the  wild  guava, 
and  about  the  size  of  a  nutmeg. 

11.  "There  was  something    also   in  the  blos- 
som of  the  nut-tree  which  was  grateful  to  him,  for, 
on  coming  up  the  creek  on  a  moonlight  night,  I 
saw  several  vampires  fluttering  round  the  sawarri- 
tree,  and  every  now  and  then  the  blossoms  which 
they  had  broken  off   fell  into  the  water.     They 
certainly  did  not  drop  off  naturally,  for,  on  exam- 
ining several  of  them,  they  appeared  quite  fresh 
and   blooming.      So   I   concluded    the   vampires 
pulled  them  from  the  tree,  either  to  get  at  the 
incipient  fruit,  or  to  catch  the  insects  which  often 
take  up  their  abode  in  flowers. 

12.  "  The  vampire,  in  general,  measures  about 
twenty-six  inches  from  wing  to  wing,  extended, 
though  I  once  killed  one  which  measured  thirty- 
one  inches.     He  frequents  old,  abandoned  houses 
and  hollow  trees,  and  sometimes  a  cluster  of  them 
may  be  seen  in  the  forest   hanging  head  down- 
ward from  the   branch    of    a   tree.      Goldsmith 
seems  to  have  been  aware  that  the  vampires  hung 
in  clusters,  for,  in  the  "Deserted  Village,"  speak- 
ing of  America,  he  says : 

"  e  And  matted  woods,  where  birds  forget  to  sing, 
But  silent  bats  in  drowsy  clusters  cling.' 

13.  "The  vampire   has  a  curious   membrane, 
which  rises  from  the  nose,  and  gives  it  a  very 


TEE  FLYING  MOUSE.  221 

singular  appearance.  There  are  two  species  of 
vampire  in  Guiana,  a  larger  and  a  smaller.  The 
larger  sucks  men 
and  other  animals; 
the  smaller  seems 
to  confine  himself 
chiefly  to  birds.  I 
learned  from  a  gen- 
tleman high  up  on 
the  river  Demerara 

that   he  Was  wholly  Head  of  Horseshoe  Bat. 

unsuccessful  with 
his  fowls  on  account  of  the  small  vampire.  He 
showed  me  some  that  had  been  sucked  the  night 
before,  and  they  were  scarcely  able  to  walk. 

14.  "Some  years  ago  I  went  to  the  river  Pau- 
maron  with  a  Scotch  gentleman.  We  hung  our 
hammocks  in  the  thatched  loft  of  a  planter's 
house.  Next  morning  I  heard  this  gentleman 
muttering  in  his  hammock,  and  now  and  then 
letting  fall  an  imprecation  or  two  just  about  the 
time  he  ought  to  have  been  saying  his  morning 
prayers.  '  What  is  the  matter,  sir  ? '  said  I,  softly ; 
'  is  anything  amiss  ? '  '  What's  the  matter  ? '  an- 
swered he,  surlily ;  '  why,  the  vampires  have  been 
sucking  me  to  death.'  As  soon  as  there  was  light 
enough  I  went  to  his  hammock,  and  saw  it  much 
stained  with  blood.  '  There,'  said  he,  thrusting 
his  foot  out  of  the  hammock,  '  see  how  those  in- 
fernal imps  have  been  drawing  my  life's  blood ! ' 


222         FLYERS,    CHEEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

On  examining  his  foot,  I  found  the  vampire  had 
tapped  his  great  toe ;  there  was  a  wound  some- 
what less  than  that  made  by  a  leech.  I  conjec- 
tured he  must  have  lost  from  ten  to  twelve  ounces 
of  blood." 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 
MY   DOG    FIDO. 

1.  I  TELL  you  I  have  a  smart  dog  of  my  own, 

His  name,  sir,  is  Fido ; 
The  cunningest  canine  that  ever  was  known 

To  "cut  up  a  dido!" 
His  hair  it  is  long,  and  as  soft  as  fine  silk, 

It  is  a  sort  of  a  yellow ; 
He's  so  dainty,  he  likes  only  sweet  cake  and  milk, 

The  dear  funny  fellow  ! 

2.  He  comes  when  he's  called,  and  he  does  what 

he's  bid ; 

Not  all  boys  will  do  so ! 
And  he'll  stand  up  and  wear  a  fur  cap  on  his 

head, 

Like  Robinson  Crusoe ! 
He  barks  at  all  beggars,  but  persons  well  dressed 

He  treats  more  politely — 

In  which  he  resembles,  it  must  be  confessed, 

Some  other  folks  slightly. 


MY  DOG  FIDO.  223 

3.  Throw  a  ball,  and  he'll  chase  it  along  every- 

where, 

Nor  stop  at  your  calling ; 
Toss  it  up  in  the  air,  and  he's  sure  to  be  there 

To  seize  it  when  falling; 
Throw  a  stick  in  a  pond,  and  at  once,  with  a 

bound, 

He  will  jump  in  the  water — 
Little  Tilly  fell  in  once,  and  would  have  been 

drowned 
•  If  he  hadn't  caught  her. 

4.  He's  so  wise  that  when  bad  boys  once  managed 

to  tie 

To  his  tail  a  tin  kettle, 
He  turned,  picked  it  up  in  his  mouth,  and  so 

high- 
Being  put  to  his  mettle- 
He  jumped  o'er  the  palings  and  made  so  much 

noise, 

The  sound  reached  the  kitchen; 
And  the  servants  ran  out  and  soon  caught  both 

the  boys, 
And  gave  them  a  switcMn'. 

5.  He  knows  me  so  well  that  whenever  he  hears 

The  tone  of  my  voice,  sir, 

You  might  think  him  human,  so  much  he  ap- 
pears 
At  the  sound  to  rejoice,  sir. 


224         FLYERS,    CREEPERS,   AND  SWIMMERS. 

So  I  can't  treat  him  ill,  and  I'm  certain  that  he 
Loves  me  well  and  sincerely ; 

And  he's  always  so  good  and  so  gentle  to  me, 
That  I  love  him  most  dearly ! 

L.  J.  Cist,  in  St.  Nicholas. 


THE  END. 


APPLETONS'  INSTRUCTIVE  READING-BOOKS 

FOR  SUPPLEMENTARY  READING. 


THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  SERIES.  By  JAMES  JOHONNOT, 
author  of  "Principles  and  Practice  of  Teaching,"  "Geographical 
Reader,"  "  How  We  Live,"  etc. 

No.  1.  Book   of  Cats    and   Dogs,  and  other  Friends.     For 

Little  Folks.  12mo.  96  pages.  Deals  with  the  familiar  animals 
of  the  house  and  farm-yard. 

No.  2.   Friends  in  Feathers  and  Fur  and  other  Neighbors. 

For  Young  Folks.  12mo.  140  pages.  Gives  an  account  of  the 
chickens,  ducks,  and  geese  about  home,  and  of  the  birds,  squirrels, 
rabbits,  and  other  animals  found  near  home. 

No.  3.   Neighbors  with  Wings  and  Fins  and  some  others. 

For  Boys  and  Girls.  Interspersed  with  interesting  stories,  it  gives 
descriptions  of  birds,  reptiles,  and  insects,  in  such  a  way  as  to  lead 
to  scientific  classification. 

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For  Young  People.  Begins  with  the  familiar  animals  of  house  and 
field,  and  reaches  out  to  a  general  description  and  classification  of 
mammals. 

No.  5.  Glimpses  of  the  Animate  World  :  Science  and 
Literature  of  Natural  History.  For  School  or  Home.  12mo. 
414  pages.  Treats  of  special  topics,  and  is  made  up  of  the  literature 
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The  publication  of  this  series  marks  a  distinct  and  important  advance 
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importance  of  this  movement  and  its  value  to  the  present  generation  of 
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Natural  History  in  the  Instructive  Reading  Course  is  to  be  followed 
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from  time  to  time. 


New  York:   D.  APPLETON  &  CO.,  1,  3,  &  5  Bond  Street. 


THE  PHYSIOLOGY  FOR   THE   TIME, 


How  we  Live ;  or,  the  Human  Body,  and  How  to  take  Care  of  it.  An 
Elementary  Course  in  Anatomy,  Physiology,  and  Hygiene.  By 
JAMES  JOHONNOT,  author  of  "  Principles  and  Practice  of  Teaching," 
"Geographical  Reader,"  "Natural  History  Reader,"  etc.,  EUGENE 
BOUTON,  Ph.  D.,  and  H.  D.  DIDAMA,  M.  D. 

Thoroughly  adapted  to  elementary  instruction  in  the  public  schools ; 
giving  special  attention  to  the  laws  of  Hygiene  (including  the  effects  of 
alcohol  and  narcotics  on  the  human  system)  as  ascertained  from  a  care- 
ful study  of  Anatomy  and  Physiology ;  containing  also  a  full  Glossary  of 
Terms,  complete  Index,  etc. 


FOR  HIGH  SCHOOLS,  ACADEMIES,  AND  ALL 
SCHOOLS  OF  SIMILAR  GRADE. 


The  Essentials  of  Anatomy,  Physiology,  and  Hygiene. 
By  ROGER  S.  TRACT,  M.  D.,  Sanitary  Inspector  of  the  New  York 
City  Health  Department. 

This  work  has  been  prepared  in  response  to  the  demand  for  a 
thoroughly  scientific  and  yet  practical  text-book  for  schools  and  academies, 
which  shall  afford  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  essential  facts  of  Anat- 
omy and  Physiology,  as  a  scientific  basis  for  the  study  of  Hygiene  and 
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stated  throughout.  It  also  treats  of  the  physiological  effects  of  alcohol 
and  other  narcotics,  fulfilling  all  the  requirements  of  recent  legislative 
enactments  upon  this  subject. 


Teachers  and  School-Officers  should  correspond  with  us  before  intro- 
ducing a  new  work  upon  this  subject. 


D,  APPLET  ON  &   CO,,    Publishers, 

NEW  YORK,   BOSTON,  CHICAGO,  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


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